Shadowborne
by MisfitKitten
Summary: How do you give someone a Persona? What exactly happened to Sho Minazuki when he was growing up in the lab...and why did Akihiko stop Mitsuru from telling Yukari why she "didn't have a choice" in regards to joining SEES? Perhaps red hair isn't the only thing they have in common. Post-Ultimax. (P3, P4, Mitsuru/Akihiko, Naoto/Kanji) *cross-posted from AO3* Now with Notes!
1. Spotlight: The Cake is a Lie

Welcome to my massive P3/P4 crossover universe! This is going to be a gritty, emotional roller coaster of a ride.

The relationships are mainly going to be Mitsuru/Akihiko and Naoto/Kanji, but there will be other 'ships explored and tried out.

This particular 'fic explores Mitsuru's history and backstory. It may get headcanon-heavy at times; apologies in advance if something doesn't suit you.

Thanks for reading. Also, don't post rotten comments! I've opted to spend my valuable time writing this and posting it for you to read for free - and I don't shitpost on **your** stories. Being considerate and constructive should be a rule/guideline.

* * *

The enormous ballroom radiated elegance. Every inch of the ceiling was covered with lights in a bid to rival the galaxy. Items that had no business being gold-plated shone beneath them, from tablecloths to cutlery to the actual 24-karat gold flakes in the sumptuous dessert. A thousand wine glasses never emptied, guests and servants were both dressed to the nines, and the emperor himself was rumored to have been invited to attend.

And Mitsuru Kirijo was bored to tears.

 _Twenty-one, Father._

 _You were ready to take on the world at this age._

 _How disappointed you must be now._

The Kirijo Group had insisted on throwing their CEO's only daughter a birthday gala on an international scale. At twenty-one years of age, Mitsuru was now a legal adult in every country she held property in. The fact that she was now the _**world's**_ most eligible bachelorette had not gone unnoticed either, unfortunately. If Mitsuru hadn't insisted on overseeing the guest list, she would be the only unmarried woman in this room tonight. She was quite certain she was the youngest by far. Most of the attending guests were also old money heirs or a few degrees descended from royalty. Snobby stuffed shirts to a man, and Mitsuru had no interest in any of them. They never saw the suffering that Apathy Syndrome had brought to Iwatodai as they lounged in their nice mansions, tsk-tsking at the news and haughtily huffing at the state of the country these days. A newspaper magnate complained loudly about the lack of attention his articles on the recent kidnappings drew thanks to the Internet, and a young dot-com wunderkind steadfastly argued that static media was passé, with their bubble-headed cheerleader dates interjecting useless "Oohs" and "Tee-hees". It galled her. She was raised to be one of these people, but she felt as if a two-way mirrored wall had been erected in between them. She could see them for what they really were, but when they looked at her, they only saw themselves.

As the board of directors paraded her around like a show poodle, Mitsuru did a competent job of smiling and greeting, cordial enough to pass for a socialite. She barely remembered any of the names she was inundated with until one in particular grabbed her: Hiraku Shirogane. Upon further inspection, the man wore an analytical expression nearly identical to a certain Detective Prince. Mitsuru made a mental note to request his presence at her table later that evening in order to inquire about his granddaughter.

Thinking about Shirogane reminded her of the Inaba debacle and the ongoing problem that was Sho Minazuki. After the "P-1 Climax", the belligerent boy had completely dropped off their radar – and the Shadow Operatives had state-of-the-art radar! Yet another life that Shuji Ikutsuki had ruined in his delusional bid to rule the world.

Mitsuru quickly grabbed a wineglass off a nearby tray to hide her face before anyone noticed she was tearing up. Even after all these years, the thought of a man she'd trusted her entire life betraying her in the worst possible way still hurt more than she'd cared to admit. Thanks to him, instead of her father raising a toast to his little girl becoming a woman, it was their Public Relations Manager, a man who barely knew her well enough to realize she'd never wanted this party in the first place. Most importantly – and again, only her father would appreciate this – none of Mitsuru's dear friends were present. Not that she could blame them; spending the evening with people who no doubt saw net worth over people's heads the way Artemisia saw resistances and weaknesses did not sound like a fun evening. She briefly wondered what they were doing now.

She knew what Fuuka was doing. PROJECT_PUPPETMASTER, Ikutsuki's encrypted files, turned out to be a massive undertaking. Bundled with Minazuki's life story were other files waiting to be broken into, and the bashful, teal-haired girl showed a surprising amount of enthusiasm in tackling them. _She's come so far since we rescued her in high school._ Mitsuru forced herself to smile, but it was short-lived. _And here I am, still imprisoned in this life._

A grand dinner had arrived, meaning she could at least sit while being displayed. Her dainty heels were hurting her feet – the family's stylist nearly had a fit when Mitsuru attempted to sneak out of the house with her favorite boots on, and all but tackled her in an effort to get her into something "more suitable for such a beautiful dress!" Said dress was much too constricting and heavy, surely weighing as much if not more than Mitsuru herself. Mitsuru's retort that she might as well show up to the party completely naked, since most of the men there would be undressing her with their eyes anyway, earned her an hour-long lecture about impropriety and the company she'd been keeping. It **did** sound like an Iori joke, come to think of it. She'd have to remember to tell him about it later.

As three separate attendants were forced to help Mitsuru settle into a chair without her dress riding up and rewarding the guests, she noticed the elder Shirogane standoffishly refuting another gentleman's comment and trying in vain to excuse himself. She had her attendants collect him as quickly as possible. _Perhaps the evening won't be a total loss._

* * *

"You sure about this?" Akihiko Sanada sat in an unmarked car, fiddling with his ill-fitting hat.

"That's the third time you've asked me," Detective Kurosawa replied, "Our man on the inside is positive. Public Safety is planning a raid tonight." He watched his newest recruit carefully. "You think she'll be mad at you for crashing?"

Akihiko sighed. "Depending on the way things are going, she might be mad at me for not showing up sooner."

"Well," Kurosawa grumbled as he spotted an unguarded door, pulling a lock breaking kit out of the glove compartment, "tell her I said Happy Birthday."

* * *

 _This place is insane!_

The utility room Akihiko snuck through might have been the only place he could afford to set foot in. Once he'd reached inlaid wood floors with carpet runners, he might as well have been on another planet altogether. He passed by the kitchens – four of them! – and just barely resisted stealing something off a golden tray. There was more food on the tables than he'd ever seen in his life, fruits and vegetables in every color of the rainbow, and shit he couldn't even identify. And most of it would just be thrown out after the party was over...while kids in the orphanage played cards for the last day-old bread roll.

A familiar feeling settled into Akihiko's stomach as he began to regret begging for this mission. This was the world Mitsuru had grown up in, a world more alien to him than Tartarus. It was easy to forget when she was running around in a catsuit, but she was raised to be a princess. She owned underwear that cost more than his first paycheck. But Mitsuru always insisted she'd rather hang around the dorm with him and Shinji than go to parties like these. She said they were boring, stifling, and people only talked to her because she was a Kirijo and had money. (Akihiko personally felt they also thought she was beautiful, but he was never able to tell her that.) He wanted to believe there was no difference between them, that she was watching them with as much envy as they had watching her, but old habits died hard.

 _"I'm telling you man," Shinjiro groused as they lounged around the spacious-to-them dorm that had just become their home, "More money than brains! Every last one of them!"_

 _Akihiko shook his head. "Mitsuru's plenty smart, though. And besides, how could you even_ get _that rich unless you had a brain in your head?"_

" _God, Aki, sometimes I think you were born yesterday." He gestured around the living room. "You think digs like this are free? They_ _ **bought**_ _us, man! You don't have to lift a finger when you've got naive idiots who'll jump at the chance to lick the dirt off your boots, 'cause it's more than they gave us for breakfast at the orphanage. That's how you get to the top – on the backs of someone you've knocked over. We're scum to them. There's probably cameras in the john, making sure you don't steal anything while you're taking a piss, and you're dancing around like this is the best thing that's ever happened to you!" He slumped down on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table and earning a groan from his best friend. "If you think Kirijo's any different, you're fooling yourself."_

" _Then why don't you go back to sharing a broken bed with six other kids!" Akihiko raised his fist. This was such a common occurrence by this point that Shinjiro didn't even flinch. "You weren't even invited, anyway! I don't care how much money these people have, Shinji, that's just rude! They already think we're guttersnipes – you don't have to prove it to them!"_

" _Did you just-did you just say 'guttersnipes' !?" Shinjiro gaped. "What the fuck, Aki? Kirijo's already brainwashed you!"_

 _He hadn't even realized he'd used a word he'd picked up during a meeting with Kirijo Group scientists about his..."Persona", they called it. Everyone spoke nicely to him, but their faces remained impassive, as if they couldn't believe some raggedy kid could do the same thing their well-groomed heiress could do. He must be a liar, a fake. He'd tried his best not to look around like a tourist, but he'd never seen so much white and chrome before. When the time came to summon his Persona, he didn't speak loud enough, and he forgot how to use the damn gun-thing. "Evoker" – everything had a fancy name. He'd ask to go the bathroom, but he was afraid that it was actually called the "relieving station" or something, and he'd be laughed out of the building, with Mitsuru refusing to even look at him._

 _Shinji had indeed brute-forced his way into Kirijo's patronage, but when he mentioned that "Dark Hour" (you'd think they'd have a snazzier name for that, too), they decided it was okay for him to come as well. Apparently, you only saw blood and coffins if you were special like Mitsuru. Akihiko was happy at first. He felt bad about leaving his best friend behind because an opportunity had opened up for him. But Shinji was just being a dick about_ everything _. He wasn't just looking a gift horse in the mouth, he was looking up its ass, too!_

" _Look," Akihiko explained for what felt like the umpteenth time, "this thing we can do...I don't know anyone else who can do it except Mitsuru. We need her help, Shinji. She needs_ our _help, too."_

" _Tch. I'm only sticking around to keep your ass out of trouble. Kirijo can take care of herself." Shinjiro stood up; his height was the only thing he had going against Akihiko. "We're_ _not like her,_ _Aki. We all have this power, sure – but that's the only thing we'll ever have in common."_

Akihiko couldn't help but feel overwhelmed again as he finally reached the ballroom and was nearly blinded by all the gleaming items. _WHY IS EVERYTHING GOLD?! Can you even eat with a gold-plated fork?_ He knew he had no business being here, but he'd happened to be at the Port Island police station when Kurosawa got a tip that Public Safety, already pissed at Mitsuru for eluding their grasp in Inaba, had planned to raid her birthday party and arrest as many people as they could for tax evasion and any other trumped-up charges they could make up on the spot. A **birthday party**. Bunch of assholes. Akihiko wasn't even officially on the squad yet, but there was no way he was letting Mitsuru get dragged into jail like a common criminal – or even an uncommon criminal. He was lucky that Kurosawa knew about the Shadow Operatives and had enough clout to put in a good word. Still, he was by himself, and that was potentially risky. Aigis would have been ideal right about now...but she wasn't any more cultured than he was, and didn't understand the concept of stealth. Labrys was even worse in that regard. He had about 45 minutes. All he had to do was convince Mitsuru to sneak away with him before Public Safety arrived. Piece of cake.

Akihiko smacked himself in the forehead for that one.

* * *

"I must say, Kirijo-san," Hiraku Shirogane raised a glass to his young hostess, "When I accepted your invitation, I certainly didn't expect your personal attention."

"My interest was piqued," Mitsuru replied. "After all, it's not every day that a legendary detective comes to your party. Let's just say...I was curious as to whether such sharp minds ran in the family."

"You've met my granddaughter."

"Indeed I have." The rare smile that Mitsuru reserved for trusted friends began to make its appearance. "In fact, I've been considering offering her a position after graduation."

Shirogane leaned closer to her and lowered his voice. "And in which department would this position be?"

The even rarer wide smile, one only a few living people bore witness to, now decorated Mitsuru's face. "Well. It seems my suspicions are confirmed." _Finally, a worthy opponent. Happy Birthday to me._

Just as this decadent dinner began to redeem itself, several inebriated guests began raising their voices. Something about stolen property spurred the security detail into action, and for a brief moment, Mitsuru was left unattended. It was in that same moment that she felt a hand on her shoulder and nearly assaulted a uniformed officer in front of an alarmed Shirogane. How was an officer here that quickly? And why was Artemisia reacting?

"Hey," the officer said.

 _Wait...that voice..._ Mitsuru took another look at this new man and nearly lost her jaw on the ballroom floor.

"Akihiko?!"

* * *

It only took a few minutes for Akihiko to completely assess the situation. The room wasn't as wide as it was tall, and the tables were arranged in small circles at each corner. Mitsuru's table was at the bottom right, farthest from the doors so it would take a while for someone to break in and get to her...from that angle. If Akihiko'd had a gun, he could have picked her right off from the service entrance. _Dumbasses._

Even in the midst of all this overabundance, he spotted Mitsuru right away, floating across the room in some ridiculous-ass dress. It was as if whoever dressed her just had to one-up anyone else wearing a dress tonight. She couldn't even bend or sit by herself. Oh, it was the perfect dress for a birthday party – she looked like a fucking cake!

…a delicious fucking cake. Akihiko couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Mitsuru in a dress, but...damn. She was too beautiful for words. They sat her by some older guy, and he watched as she SMILED at him, and it took Akihiko's breath away. Mitsuru had more charm in her little finger than he had in his whole body, and she was giving this man her undivided attention. It stung a little. He was irrationally jealous of some old guy who could buy and sell his ass. When the man looked at his watch, Akihiko finally remembered he had a job to do. _Shit, 20 minutes!_

Doubling back to a coat closet he'd seen earlier, Akihiko reached in and grabbed whatever gaudy shit first caught his eye; some coats, a jewel-encrusted handbag, and an ugly hat. He crept over to the kitchens and, when several chefs were looking away, turned a few of the burners up too high. Pots began boiling over and smoking, and frantic French filled the air as the chefs started panicking and running around. They didn't notice Akihiko stashing his loot in a nearby cabinet and hotfooting his way back to the ballroom. With the diversion in place, all he had to do was wait.

It worked like a charm. Some drunk old snobs had sent a servant to the closet, and when he returned empty-handed and apologetic, all hell broke loose. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU CAN'T FIND MY WRAP?! I gave it to you specifically! Darling," the boozy woman grabbed the man next to her, "Darling, someone has made off with my wrap!"

"Good, it was hideous, anyway," the man slurred.

The woman gasped melodramatically like a character in a middle school play. "OH! How could you? That was my beloved grandmother's! WE ARE THROUGH!" She sobbed loudly and tried to hit the man, but she was so drunk that she fell on top of him, her dress ripping and exposing her underwear. As she flailed around, security rushed to separate the two of them, which meant everyone failed to notice Akihiko sneaking into the room.

He got up to Mitsuru's table and the plan screeched to a halt. What was he supposed to say to her? "I'm here to rescue you." She didn't even know there was any danger. "Come with me if you want to live!" Yeah, right – Mitsuru didn't watch gory action movies. "Surprise?" No shit! In the end, all he could think to do was get her attention and hope she'd catch on. No such luck; when he put his hand on her shoulder, he immediately felt the ice seeping through his glove as Mitsuru took a defensive stance. _She doesn't recognize me._ Akihiko knew he looked different in a full police uniform, but he didn't realize just **how** different wearing a shirt made him look. He had to choose his words carefully.

"Hey."

 _Brilliant, Aki! Dazzle her with those big, collegiate words!_

By some miracle, though, it actually worked. Mitsuru just stared at him with a comical jaw-dropping, eye-popping expression on her face, like she'd just seen her dead father dressed as a geisha. "Akihiko?!"

The man at the table cleared his throat and broke the spell. The commotion was winding down, and time was running out. Akihiko bent down so only Mitsuru could hear him. "Public Safety's about to bust through the door. C'mon, we gotta go." He pulled her out of her chair before she could spend precious minutes pondering that statement and plotting a course of action.

"W-wait!" Mitsuru clutched his arm, her eyes wide as she tried to process everything. "Shirogane-san!"

Now it was Akihiko's turn to look shocked at _**Mitsuru**_ of all people using an honorific. "What?"

"My dining companion," Mitsuru smirked. Thank God, she'd figured it out fast enough to start taking over.

"All, right, you too, then." Akihiko motioned to the guy, and he followed without a word.

They made it through the kitchens and were halfway through the utility room when sirens went off and doors were heard slamming open. "Great," muttered Akihiko, "this is gonna be tight."

Mitsuru just shrugged. "I could always smuggle the two of you out under this dress."

"Fortunately, your distraction bought some valuable time," Shirogane said calmly. He didn't seem perturbed at all by the fact that he'd just been pulled into a heist. "Perhaps our next move should be rendering Kirijo-san unrecognizable in order to facilitate our escape."

It took a minute for all the pieces to fall in to place, and then Akihiko finally caught on. "You're Naoto's grandfather," he realized.

Shirogane chuckled. "It appears she's been making quite an impression on the infamous Shadow Operatives." Okay, this old man was awesome. _Well, who needs Aigis, then? Good score, Mitsuru!_

"What if we put on the chef's coats, put Mitsuru on a rolling cart and make them think we're taking back the wrong cake?" It was a stupid idea, but Akihiko getting the ball rolling usually jump-started Mitsuru, so he voiced it anyway. Also, he just had to take a dig at it. "Plus, when we cut it open, a girl in her underwear will pop out."

" **HEY!** " Mitsuru's tone was scolding, but she didn't really look mad. In fact, she looked like she wanted to laugh.

"I just so happen to have a penknife here," Shirogane was saying, "We should at least remove the bottom half of the dress frame to give you a bit more mobility."

"THANK YOU!" sighed Mitsuru. She proved adept at cutting herself out of thousands of misspent yen. A huge, hoop-shaped frame came away with the bustled skirt, revealing – to Akihiko's dismay – Mitsuru's slip. "What I wouldn't give for a pair of pants right about now," she muttered.

* * *

Kurosawa was nervously drumming his fingers on the steering wheel and wondering why he couldn't have transferred to Tokyo years ago when the utility door cracked open and three people crept out. "Took you long enough," he grumbled, but the sigh of relief when he saw Mitsuru took the sting out of his statement. He turned to glare at Shirogane. "Who's this guy?"

"The brains of this operation," answered Akihiko. "We gonna make it?"

"Only one way to find out: strap yourselves in!"

Akihiko made sure Mitsuru was hidden in the shadows in the back of the car before hopping in the front. He met her gaze in the rear-view mirror, and she raised her eyebrow at him. He smirked back. "I remembered your birthday."

"Can't imagine how you're going to top yourself next year," Mitsuru retorted.

* * *

(Sorry about the title. I couldn't decide which one I should use, so I used both.)

Naoto's grandpa doesn't seem to have a canon name, so I searched and found Hiraku, meaning "expand, open, support". He'd be very supportive of Naoto becoming a detective and dressing as a boy, and I'm sure he'd want her to expand her circle of friends. I think Mitsuru would respect a guy who didn't discriminate against women in male-dominated fields, and was well-read.


	2. Sleepless

In which I realize I've inadvertently repeated a few phrases. started some running gags.

Notes:

Phew, this took a while! It's my first time writing the Investigation Team, and I had more characters to introduce.

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* * *

Naoto Shirogane had no idea why guidebooks insisted on calling Inaba "sleepy". She'd hardly gotten any sleep since she'd returned here.

Work had screeched to a halt. The novelty of hiring a teenaged detective to solve one's cases seemed to have worn off – though she also suspected her dry spell had much to do with Public Safety's disappointment in her investigation of the Kirijo Group. Well, it couldn't be helped. There was no way to blow the whistle on Mitsuru Kirijo's covert activities without exposing fellow Persona-users.

To say the discovery of another group of Persona users was surprising would be a massive understatement. So much of the group known as SEES' backstory accurately mirrored their own Investigation Team's inception that Naoto had immediately gone into "sleuth mode", as Yosuke so helpfully called it. Both groups had organized themselves into teams revolving around one particular individual; the Wild Card, capable of wielding multiple Personas. Whether some or all of the females in the group had developed feelings for this Wild Card, Naoto didn't know – although she highly suspected this was the case. It certainly was for their team.

Yu Narukami had only entered their lives for a brief moment, but the members of the Investigation team and most of the citizens of Inaba itself embraced him fully. He was a stunningly competent leader – he managed to find the time to devote to all of his companions, never turning down a request for his undivided attention. He seemed a perfect fit for multiple Personas, and indeed, he wielded them well. It was only natural, then, that Naoto would be drawn to such a person...which did not stop things from being painfully awkward. Yu was remarkably unfazed by her confession, in spite of the fact that Rise was openly taken with him, and Yukiko had also recently confessed to him. His only question, oddly enough, was whether this news had reached Kanji.

Kanji Tatsumi. An exercise in frustration made flesh. Yu had insisted (accompanied by Rise's overenthusiastic agreement) that the radical young tailor had developed feelings of his own...for Naoto. Normally, this would have been easy to ignore – many of her peers at school had convinced themselves that they were in love with the "Detective Prince" – but something about Kanji had wormed its way into her very being, and she found to her dismay that she could not rationalize away his fascination with her. In fact, lately she was beginning to find Kanji...fairly pleasant. Talking to him was surprisingly refreshing. He was easy to bounce ideas off of, frequently coming up with solutions that Naoto herself had overlooked. He spoke plainly, had no hidden agendas, and was unfailingly loyal to their senpai. Kanji had quickly become a dependable friend...but was that all there was to him? He had seen Naoto at her very worst, yet still he remained. He had even taken to showing up at her doorstep each morning to accompany her to school, frequently with food. All of her detective skills were functionally useless in this case she feared she may never solve.

A light switched on over her head. "Have you eaten today, Naoto-sama?"

It was then that Naoto realized she had been sitting in the dark until Yakushiji arrived with supper. _Hmm. I really must learn to set an appropriate time frame for my musing._ She had come out to the Shirogane estate for two purposes; to find some casework her grampa may have had lying around...and to elude Kanji. The first task was a bust, but she'd succeeded in the latter...or so she thought.

Someone was frantically pounding on the front doors. Yakushiji opened them to reveal a panting Kanji who had clearly biked all the way from town. "There ya are!" he managed to gasp. "Ya quit answering yer phone. an' I know you didn't have nothin' to eat today-"

"I didn't have **anything** to eat today." Naoto corrected.

"See? I knew it!"

"Will Tatsumi-san be joining us this evening?" asked a very amused Yakushiji.

" **No** ," Naoto insisted. "Kanji-kun, if that's the only reason you've tracked me down tonight, I can assure you-"

"W-wait a sec! There was gonna be somethin' on the news about those fancy cops you were workin' with."

"Public Safety?" Naoto didn't bother waiting for a reply. She darted down the hall to the nearest TV and turned it on.

The Dojima household had seen quite a few changes over the past year. The side yard featured a little garden with tomato plants and corn stalks. A scooter sat out in the driveway. The biggest changes, however, were to be found inside.

Nanako Dojima was skipping happily around the living room, humming her favorite jingle while adding place settings to the table that took up the majority of the space. Her father was set to return, on time for supper, and the sun hadn't even set yet! When the doorbell rang, however, she froze. The last time she opened the door when she was home by herself led to some very bad things.

Fortunately, another familiar sound soon followed that set Nanako at ease. "NANA-CHAAAAN! Your friendly neigh-bear-hood Teddie is here!"

That was Teddie! Nanako resumed her skipping as she quickly opened the door to find her mascot friend arguing with his harried roommate, Yosuke Hanamura. "Hi, Teddie! And Yosuke-kun!"

"Jeez, Ted, you get worse and worse every day! I think the guy up the street knows we're here!" Yosuke was saying, his headphones wobbling as he shook his head. He saw Nanako and winked. "Hey, Nanako-chan. Brought this weirdo over to keep you company."

"And Teddie's here, too!"

"I MEANT YOU, YOU STUPID BEAR!"

"What are you doing here?" Nanako asked between giggles.

"Why, today is a beary important day – the day Sir Teddie the Valiant Knight gets to protect his lovely, fair Nana-chan!" Teddie preened happily. "I'm a knight, you know. I had the beary important job of escorting some pretty city ladies on their maiden voyage through Inaba this week!"

Nanako clearly had no idea what he was talking about, but she may have been the only person in Inaba too polite to tell him so. "Um, okay," she began, "but...isn't Tuesday the day that Chie-chan comes over?" Ever since her Big Bro Yu had returned to his parents' home in Tokyo, his friends realized that Nanako might be lonely, so they all volunteered to visit her as much as they could. Usually, they took turns, though.

Yosuke's eyes bugged out of his head, and he looked worried. "Aw, crap! Teddie, you said it was Monday!"

"No, I didn't," Teddie argued, "I said today was the day that Teddie got to visit Nana-chan." He pulled a calendar out of his suit. "See? 'T' is for 'Teddie'!"

"YOU IDIOT! THAT 'T' IS FOR 'TUESDAY'!" Yosuke began sweating heavily as he looked over his shoulder.

Teddie wasn't fazed. "Or maybe...it's for 'Topsicles'?"

"Or maybe," said a new voice, "it's for Toes heading right Toward your face!"

"Don't kill me!" Yosuke squeaked out, whirling around with his hands in the air. "N-Nanako-chan is watching!"

"You got lucky this time, Yosuke." Chie Satonaka bounced up the front path, her arms already in karate-chop position. "But I'd sleep with one eye open if I were you. HWA-TA!"

Giggles from behind Chie indicated she was not alone. "Tee-hee-hee! Yosuke-kun always has one eye open, Chie!" Yukiko Amagi laughed.

" _Tee-hee-hee_ , Yosuke-kun is right here, Yukiko!" mimicked Yosuke.

"Oh!" Yukiko was either faking surprise, or she was actually that spacey. "I didn't recognize you since you weren't winking!" Yosuke then covered both his eyes with a massive facepalm.

"You like being winked at, Yuki-chan?" Teddie leaned out of the doorway, sparkling. He made quite a show of winking his huge, cartoonish eyes.

"That's great, Teddie! Can you wink both eyes at the same time?"

"For you, Yuki-chan, anything!" Teddie closed both his eyes...and Yukiko walked right past him into the Dojimas' house.

"Ooh," Yosuke cringed. "Good thing you got ice for that burn."

"So, Yosuke, if you're gonna be here," Chie said as she came in, "why don't you make yourself useful and go get us some snacks?"

"Oh, that's okay," Nanako cut in before Yosuke could do more than sputter, "I've already made supper! I'll go get some more plates!"

Once Nanako was gone, the conversation continued at a quieter volume. "She seems better today," said Chie.

"Yeah, maybe she finally slept. Dojima-san bought her some of that herbal stuff at Junes the other day." explained Yosuke. "I don't know if it works, but he looked like he needed to take some, too."

"Poor Nanako-chan. How long has she been sleepwalking?" asked Yukiko.

"Since Sensei left." replied Teddie. "Now the house is all empty at night, and Nana-chan has no one to talk to except voices."

"Wait – what voices?" Chie asked.

"Nana-chan said people are calling to her, but she can't find them." explained Teddie, looking as worried as an animated suit could. "They tell her to come look, but she's not allowed out by herself at night, so she just walks around."

Yosuke looked over at the television set that anchored the living room, which was currently on some bizarre game show. "These voices...they don't show up at midnight by any chance, do they?"

No one really wanted to know the answer to that question. Midnight in Inaba this past year had been the timeslot of a very disturbing phenomenon known as the Midnight Channel, where victims thrown into the TV World were held hostage while their Shadow selves broadcasted their deepest secrets. Fail to save the victim in time...and the program becomes a snuff film.

"But the Midnight Channel hasn't shown up for a while," Yukiko pointed out. "I tried it the last time it rained. Nothing appeared at all. I didn't hear any voices, either."

"No one's been thrown into the TV," Teddie added. "Everything's peaceful over there."

There was one option left, and Chie voiced it. "Do you think we should call Yu-kun?"

"Well, we don't know anything, and there's not much he can do all the way in Tokyo." Yosuke shook his head. "No sense in worrying him."

The front door opened again. "Man, it's been a while since we had this many shoes by the door."

"Dad!" Nanako bounced out of the kitchen to greet her father with a huge smile on her face. "You made it home in time for supper!"

Ryotaro Dojima had put out his cigarette just in time to catch his little girl. "Well, I promised, didn't I?" he chuckled. "Full house tonight, huh?"

"Uh-huh! Everyone's..." Nanako failed to stifle a yawn, "...here." The adults gave each other the same worried looks over her head.

"After supper, make sure to take your medicine."

"Okay, Dad." Nanako sighed.

"Hey, Nanako-chan, why don't Yukiko and I help you with the food?" Chie offered.

"Yeah, cook something, that'll knock her out real good." Yosuke muttered.

Nanako cheered right up. "Yeah!" The girls headed off to the kitchen – Chie elbowing Yosuke in the stomach as she passed by him.

Yosuke took a few deep breaths before approaching Dojima. "Is that stuff helping any?"

Dojima shook his head. "She conks out faster, but she's still getting up." He slumped down on the couch, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Doctor says it's stress-related, thinks I should take her to a shrink. Like the poor kid hasn't been through enough this past year."

"Why would they want to shrink Nana-chan?" Teddie, predictably, didn't get it. "She's already small." He gave his best impression of being deep in thought. "If Sensei were here, he'd know what to do!"

Dojima just shrugged and picked up the remote. The news was already on.

"Aw, we missed Marie-chan's segment!" said Yukiko as the girls carried out several bowls of food.

" _Thank you, Mariko-san. We'll be sure to bring our umbrellas tomorrow! Now for our top story: It seems even the well-to-do can't escape the law! The Public Safety Police conducted a raid today on society's elite, seizing an estimated 20 billion yen in holdings."_

Across town, Naoto was stunned. "For Public Safety to act so overtly..."

" _Police officials received a tip that several of Japan's high-rollers would be attending the birthday gala of electronics heiress Mitsuru Kirijo."_ A head shot of Mitsuru's intense stare appeared on the screen.

"IT'S MITCHAN'S BIRTHDAY?!" Teddie nearly jumped through the ceiling.

"Man, imagine someone ruining your birthday party like that! The worst that's ever happened to me is the bakery sending the wrong cake," said Chie.

"What, it wasn't made of steak?" Yosuke teased her.

" _Kirijo, now 21 years of age, made headlines just last week when her plane fell victim to a hijacking..."_

"Grampa went to that party." Naoto realized suddenly. She had been too distracted to pay much attention when her grandfather announced he had plans for the evening, but he had definitely said something about a birthday party.

"How come you didn't go?" asked Kanji.

Naoto brushed him off. "I would have had to wear a dress." Her freshly-sharpened mind was now working diligently. "Also, I was hired to investigate Mitsuru-san on behalf of Public Safety. In the public eye, we don't know each other." If Public Safety was still moving against Mitsuru-san, then some new information must have been released. She'd have to get her hands on it. "I do hope Grampa is okay."

" _However, the birthday girl seems to have eluded the police's grasp. Public Safety officials say that the many international guests were interrogated extensively, and none had remembered seeing Miss Kirijo leave the party."_

The news continued, talking about kidnappings, but no one was paying attention anymore.

"Yaay!" cheered Teddie.

Nanako looked confused. "Do you know that lady?"

"Naoto was working with her the last time she came to Inaba," explained Yosuke. "Surprised the hell out of all of us."

"She might look scary, but in person, she's actually very nice," Yukiko assured Nanako.

"Oh, come on!" Dojima didn't seem to be buying it. "What would someone like **that** be doing in a place like Inaba?"

Mitsuru looked out the window at the quiet stretch of road leading to the Shirogane estate. "It seems we haven't quite finished with this town after all."

"Heh." Akihiko was back to his reckless enthusiasm. "I wonder if those kids are still up to no good."

"I assume we'll find out sooner rather than later," Mitsuru said, pointing to an old bicycle leaning against the house. From the looks of it, it surely didn't belong to the aging detective.

Sure enough, the doors opened to reveal a surprised but relieved Naoto. "Grampa! They've just reported the raid on the news. Are you all right?"

"You sound worried, my dear," Shirogane chuckled. "Surely you've realized that I am very resourceful?"

"He is indeed," agreed Mitsuru as she stepped in. Naoto's eyes went wide at the image of Mitsuru with a broken bodice and exposed slip (with Akihiko's jacket tied around her waist in an attempt to restore modesty), and Akihiko in an ill-fitting police uniform, his silver hair and ubiquitous bandage the only things readily identifying him.

"Mitsuru-san! Akihiko-san!"

"Your friends here were gracious enough to let me accompany them while security was being ineffectual," Shirogane explained.

"Didja crawl through an air duct or somethin'?" Kanji suddenly spoke up, looking as if he'd witnessed a murder. He gaped at Mitsuru's altered dress. "You're sheddin' organza all over the place!"

"Kanji-kun, try to focus." Naoto reprimanded him. Mitsuru just raised an eyebrow. "We need to find out what, if anything, Public Safety is spearheading this investigation with."

"We've got a mole," explained Akihiko. "He's gone dark, though. Kurosawa's off trying to get the Inaba police to cooperate."

"Let's hope for your sake he reaches Dojima-san," Naoto grumbled. The Inaba police force had been as unhelpful as possible when Naoto offered to pick up any extra casework. Most of them still held a grudge from when she torpedoed through their murder investigation. Perhaps it had been a bad idea to throw Adachi back in their faces – but at least their reasoning this time was more valid than "Little girls can't be cops."

Kanji cared even less for law enforcement. "Psh. Asshole pigs." At Akihiko's look, he quickly added, "Uh, present company expected...aspected...I AIN'T TALKIN' 'BOUT YOU!"

"I believe Kurosawa mentioned a person by that name," Mitsuru realized.

As if on cue, Akihiko's phone went off. He read the text message and frowned. "No go. Inaba doesn't seem to want to get involved, and this Dojima's clocked out."

Mitsuru turned to Naoto. "Why do we want this man in particular?"

Naoto grinned. "Aside from being incorruptible and just, he is also Yu-senpai's uncle."

"How much does he know?"

"He was offered a full explanation. Whether he believed it or not, well...the fact that Adachi was his partner has both helped and hurt us."

"If I may interject," Shirogane said as the four Persona-users suddenly realized there was a civilian in their midst, "Is it possible that Public Safety has already reached them?"

"That **would** be a problem." Mitsuru said before Naoto herself could. _Always two steps ahead of me,_ Naoto couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

Akihiko busied himself with replying to Detective Kurosawa's text...and then nearly dropped his phone when Mitsuru spontaneously stroked his face. Apparently, he hadn't realized his bandage was nearly detached from his forehead. Mitsuru seemed to immediately regret her decision as she removed her arm and swiftly looked away.

The phone chirped again. "Most likely," Akihiko read. He frowned. "Dammit! Now what?"

"Now we gather everyone together and make sure we're all on the same page," Mitsuru decided. Naoto couldn't help but admire the way she immediately commandeered the entire room despite being half-dressed. "It is **imperative** that no one speaks to any strange individuals about me, the Kirijo group, or the Shadow Operatives."

"Uhh...Senpai's in Tokyo," said Kanji. He looked as if he didn't quite understand all of Mitsuru's statement, but he'd picked up on enough of it.

"Hmm. Who do we have in Tokyo?"

Yu had only been "home" for a few days, but he was already missing Inaba. The first time he returned after his year as a transfer student, his parents had gone overboard planning family activities for the three of them. It was suffocating, to be honest. If they'd missed him that much, why hadn't they taken him with them? Or better yet, stayed? But Yu was secretly grateful for the separation, because he had discovered many things about himself that he was sure his parents wouldn't understand. Inside him lived Izanagi-no-Okami, his Ultimate Persona.

Even the incarnation of a god would be bored stiff today. A distant relative of the Narukamis was getting married, and Yu's old suit was too small, forcing him to spend the evening being measured, fitted, and bragged about by his parents to anyone who would listen.

"You look wonderful, honey!" Mrs. Narukami was assuring him as they left the haberdashery. "Quite stylish! Everyone will be so impressed."

"Why would I care about impressing people if I don't even remember who they are?" Yu couldn't help but pout. He was nearly eighteen, but his mother still treated him like a child – probably because she'd lost track of how many birthdays she wasn't around to celebrate.

"Hey, that tux cost a lot of money." And there was his dad, and his all-too-important bottom line. "You'd better wear it well."

"Hmph," Yu muttered, "Kanji could've made one ten times better in about half the time."

They were passing by a window full of TV sets when another voice stopped Yu cold. "So you're saying formal wear doesn't...SUIT you?"

 _No fucking way._ "Minazuki?!" Aside from Teddie, the only person Yu knew of that made bad puns was the only person he never expected to see again: Sho Minazuki. The psychotic rogue Persona-user had been the driving force behind the hijacking of Labrys and the TV World tournaments pitting everyone from Inaba and Iwatodai against one another. But he'd taken off after they'd defeated the god empowering him. How the hell did he end up in Tokyo?

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Leader-kun." Sho sneered. He still wore his altered Yasogami uniform, giving him the appearance of a vacationing student who just happened to run into his senpai. "Out for a night on the town with the folks, huh? It must've WORN you out! Get it? Suit? Worn? Ha-ha-ha!"

"Is this a...friend of yours, sweetie?" Mrs. Narukami asked.

Yu's face remained unchanged as he told a version of the truth. "We met in Inaba."

"'Leader', huh? Of course you were," Mr Narukami puffed out his chest.

"Have you seen the news?" Sho gestured to the TVs behind him, running a feed of today's top stories. He must have been hanging out here for a while. "Might see some familiar faces in the-oh excuse me, _**on**_ the TV!" Izanagi raged, but Yu remained visibly passive so as not to alarm his parents.

A talking head casually read out the headlines. "Top stories for Tuesday, May 8, 2012: America shares its stars with us! Actor Tommy Lee Jones is here to promote his latest movie." A dour-looking man walked a red carpet as cameras flashed. "And pop star Lady Gaga arrived at Narita Airport today!" A woman with rainbow-colored hair evaded the grabbing hands of screaming fans.

"Don't think I know them, actually. Thanks anyway," quipped Yu.

Sho's eyes flashed red. "Wait for it..."

"Public Safety raids high-society birthday party in search of the elusive Mitsuru Kirijo."

Sho mock-gasped. "Uh oh. The ice queen is in trouble!" he sang. Odds were, he had no idea who Public Safety was, but the thought of Mitsuru being targeted was right up his alley.

Mr. Narukami snorted. "That girl is everywhere. Must be nice, not having to work for your money." He turned to his son. "You make sure to study hard so you can earn a living, you hear? Don't go looking up to bubble-headed heiresses."

"Actually, Mitsuru-san is very smart," Yu blurted out before realizing he'd tipped his hand. "Uh...she spoke at our school last year. Yasogami. That's where Minazuki and I know her from." _God, I wish I was a better liar._

"Are you staying in town, Minazuki-kun?" Mrs. Narukami asked Sho. Yu knew that he hated empty kindness, seeing it as a form of pity, and moved to get in between Sho and the Narukamis as quickly as he could. He really wished he had a katana with him.

"Nope." Sho flashed a grin that was almost not predatory, "I'm heading back to good old, sleepy little Inaba." His grin widened menacingly. "I'm sure all your friends really miss you."

Now Izanagi was demanding to be set free. First Yu's parents, then his friends? Dojima? **Nanako**?

He stepped closer to Sho so his parents couldn't hear. "What's your game, Minazuki?"

Sho's eyes flashed again. "Tag. You're it."

"You know, dear," Mrs. Narukami was saying, "if we go to this wedding, we'll only be a few hours away from the new branch. We could stay an extra week...oh, but Yu has school." Yu's eyes lit up as a possibility slowly revealed itself.

Mr. Narukami wasn't convinced. "I don't like where this is going."

"We wouldn't have to buy a third ticket."

"...you're right, that **does** make sense."

"How 'bout it, Kingpin?" Sho whispered to Yu. "You ready to say uncle?"

"I'll call the school and my brother." Both mother and son wore matching triumphant grins.

"Hope you're not too late," snarled Sho. He took off running down the street. "See you there, Leader-kun!" he called back.

Yu couldn't believe what had just actually happened. He was going back! "Inaba..." The team would be overjoyed to see him again, back where it had all first happened. Back where he had a real family. Inaba was home.

As his parents started to head back, making plans for yet another business trip, something immediately smacked Yu in the face.

"Wait...I went through all that fitting for nothing?!"

* * *

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A quick Google search reveals that May 8, 2012 was a Tuesday, and the weather was nice (at least in Tokyo), but it was supposed to rain the 9th, and those celebrities did indeed make it to Japan that day.  
Also, yes, this universe's Yu is the Stonefaced Smartass Yu. Look for Swag-Activated Yu in later chapters. Collect them all!  
Yu's parents in fanon have the reputation of being preoccupied with themselves, obsessed with work, and not really being involved with Yu's life, so I went with that.

*Akihiko's police uniform being "ill-fitting" and Japan thinking of socialites as "bubble-headed" are now things. They weren't gags that I had planned, but sometimes things just work out on their own.


	3. Non Grata

Here come the running gags I **had** intended to start, along with some fanservice. :)

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* * *

Shirogane insisted they stay at his house that evening, and Kikuno was immediately sent for. The media continued to speculate about Mitsuru's whereabouts, and it wouldn't be long before they'd realized Shirogane and a few officers were unaccounted for. Still, Mitsuru couldn't help but feel that this was one of her better birthdays. It was certainly one she'd remember for a long time.

Akihiko had gone to rendezvous with Kurosawa for a quick debriefing, and Naoto Shirogane was seeing Tatsumi off, which left Mitsuru with the perfect opportunity to continue her earlier conversation with the elder Shirogane...once she had properly murdered a cup of tea.

"Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience," she began as Yakushiji ushered them into the study. Warm leather, freshly-polished mahogany and antique book glue welcomed her into their embrace, reminding her of cherished evenings with her father. Oh, how she envied Naoto.

Shirogane held up a hand. "I assure you, it's no trouble at all. I still feel rather indebted to you for allowing me to escape Public Safety's grasp as well." He sat behind a gorgeous desk. Mitsuru found a chair that she'd give anything to curl up with a good book in and wondered if he was a smoker while he continued. "Against my better judgment, I have gotten old, and I was certainly not looking forward to the lengthy interrogation process." He chuckled. "Law-abiding we may be, but the Shirogane family still has its skeletons in the closet."

"Don't we all," Mitsuru muttered. Tea arrived, and she took the opportunity to collect her thoughts, not knowing that a very curious Naoto had returned and was mentally chastising herself for even considering eavesdropping. "Regarding our conversation earlier this evening..."

"You were curious as to how I knew about your Shadow Operatives?"

"More specifically, how you knew Akihiko was an Operative as well. Our complete roster isn't public knowledge, for the safety and privacy of our members." Mitsuru frowned. If such information was easily acquired by a retired detective...

"I took a gamble," Shirogane explained as he poured. "If one is going to have a special forces branch, I would expect their tendrils to extend far and wide. And with your influence, it would be quite simple to place operatives wherever they were needed. For instance, your young man-"

Mitsuru actually choked on her tea. "O-oh...uh...we're...Akihiko and I are not...not i-involved," she managed to stammer out. Her face felt incredibly hot all of a sudden. Where on Earth had **that** come from? Akihiko was certainly her oldest friend, a staunchly loyal ally, and she trusted him implicitly...but _**dating**_ him? Was it even possible for Akihiko to love anything besides protein? Not that it really mattered; such an idea was simply absurd...

...wasn't it?

Shirogane merely raised an eyebrow. "Ah. My mistake." He waited for Mitsuru to recover, with seemingly no idea that he'd opened a massive can of worms, and changed the subject. "I realize now that I never did ask you how you happened to be acquainted with Naoto."

The girl in question had just been about to walk away but paused, afraid of where this conversation was going. Grampa had never asked for more information than Naoto was willing to divulge about the Inaba murder case. At the time, she had merely told him that she and her friends happened upon some evidence that had been tampered with by Adachi, leading the police to refocus their investigation. As for Public Safety and the hijacking, she was able to convince him that her familiarity with Inaba was what marked her as the "man" for the job. Could Mitsuru convince him that theirs was strictly a legal relationship without mentioning Personas?

"Oddly enough, Public Safety." As Naoto held her breath, Mitsuru hesitantly continued. "What do you know about the incident that happened here last year?"

"The serial murders, you mean? Interesting case, that. Naoto returned home specifically at the request of the Inaba Police, as a consultant."

"Yes, well," Mitsuru put her tea cup down and a familiar calm enveloped her as she began speaking in a low, even tone, enunciating each word like the click of a gun barrel. "It was brought to my attention that the situation your granddaughter and her friends found themselves in bore many similarities to my own personal experiences, and those of my associates, three years earlier." She leaned heavily on the word "personal", but saw no spark of recognition in Shirogane, so she continued on. "I assume you're familiar with Tatsumi Port Island?"

"One would be remiss in talking about the Kirijo Group without mentioning it." Shirogane opened a drawer, and Naoto tensed. _He's putting on his glasses. He's about to show his hand._ "What exactly does Apathy Syndrome and a doomsday cult have to do with my granddaughter, Kirijo-san?"

Several things happened simultaneously. Mitsuru's phone chimed with several messages. Yakushiji had arrived to collect the tea service and discovered Naoto listening at the door. Before he could say anything, Naoto shoved the door open and failed to convince anyone that she was casual. "Grampa, I've returned for now, but I must go back to my – oh, forgive me."

Mitsuru didn't seem the least bit surprised. "Well, I've monopolized your time a bit too much, it seems. Again, thank you for your hospitality." She rose and began to leave the room, engrossed in her phone.

"But of course. Oh, Naoto? I will be needing Yakushiji to help me locate a few errant files," Shirogane looked down his nose at Naoto, pointedly not mentioning her desperate search earlier, "so would you mind showing Kirijo-san to a room she can rest in?" And now she was temporarily banned from his office until she could provide him with an explanation that satisfied both his detective's curiosity and his grandfatherly concern for her.

Bile rose in Naoto's throat as she closed the door between her two selves and raced down the hall. "Mitsuru-san!"

Mitsuru didn't turn around, but Naoto didn't expect there was any fear in her face, anyway. "As you no doubt heard, your grandfather has begun to connect the dots."

"Were you going to tell him?" Naoto wasted no time cutting right to the point. "About Personas?

Now Mitsuru turned to face her. "If I don't...will you? Your grandfather is a sharp man, Shirogane. Sooner or later, he's going to gain access to the same case files Kurosawa found. I'm fairly certain he won't suspect us all of being undercover Jungian psychiatrists."

"I'm aware of that," Naoto replied coolly.

Perhaps Mitsuru realized she'd ruffled Naoto's feathers, because her tone changed slightly. "I'm not fond of over-utilizing civilian help, either, but the fact remains that Inaba is currently a Shadow hot spot, with the TV World as an access point. If the Shadow Operatives are going to be investigating for any length of time, we need a local contact." She glared at her phone. "I was hoping we could simply go through law enforcement, but that appears to be off the table."

"I can get Yu-senpai to talk to Dojima-san," Naoto insisted.

"And what's your solution for when **he** begins to ask questions?" Mitsuru shot back. "Or does it not concern you so long as your own family isn't involved?"

"Would you be so quick to involve yours?"

And that's when Naoto realized she'd made a mistake, because Mitsuru's eyes hardened to the point where she was forced to look away, and the temperature in the foyer dropped at least fifteen degrees. Her phone rang, and Naoto silently apologized to whoever was on the other end, now the unsuspecting target of Mitsuru's refocused rage.

" **Where are you?** "

"Aw, hell, I don't know! They've rolled the damn sidewalks up already. These little towns..." Akihiko's voice could be heard coming through the phone in spite of Mitsuru swiftly turning her back on Naoto. "You want the bad news or the bad news?" Mitsuru chose simply not to answer.

Akihiko was apparently expecting that. "Bad news it is. Well, we've found our mole."

"And?"

"Apparently, the guy was so jealous of my Evoker that he tried to make his own and promptly blew his own brains out."

"Wonderful."

"Oh, it gets better! His cell phone is missing, along with all the conversations he had with Kurosawa on it."

"So trace it."

"Trace what? It's a burner." Doors slammed somewhere, and then Akihiko was back. "The guy's been wiped, Mitsuru. Public Safety claims they've never heard of him, his neighbors don't remember him. He doesn't even have dental records. We were set up right from the beginning."

The tension in Mitsuru's posture was evident. "Get back here as soon as possible. I'm alerting the other Operatives." She hung up without another word.

As the room warmed back up, Naoto remembered she still had a task to see to. "Three doors down from the stairway on your left is a vacant room." At Mitsuru's look, she added. "My own room is several floors higher on the opposite end of the house."

This seemed to mollify her. "Thank your grandfather again for us," she said curtly, and left.

Naoto wondered if she could go disappoint Yakushiji as well and make a clean sweep.

* * *

Mitsuru found it impossible to keep track of time when the Dark Hour wasn't splitting the night in two. It was clearly some time after midnight, but an orchestra of anger, frustration, and helplessness kept playing in her head, and would not let her sleep. Akihiko was out there somewhere...and she could not stop thinking about him. Why was it that everyone around them seemed to think she and him were an item? Okay, she really should have left that stupid bandage alone...but was one gesture enough to cause suspicion? Perhaps there had been something in her face when Akihiko showed up at the party in the smallest, most form-fitting uniform she'd ever seen. She was just surprised, that's all. He hadn't worn that much clothing since high school. He looked very smart, even if the shirt was so incredibly tight that it practically outlined his pectoral muscles...and the sleeves had been rolled up to expose his massive forearms...and the collar had been turned up, framing his face...

Now Mitsuru was whacking herself in the head with a pillow. Why was she suddenly obsessing over Akihiko's physique? Sure, he was attractive – anyone would be if they trained as diligently as he did! He'd always been so passionate about his strength. Occasionally, that unchecked passion led to recklessness, but when they reined it in, he showed amazing dedication, something Mitsuru had always admired. Akihiko put his heart and soul into anything he did. She knew he would be an incredible police officer, because he was already an incredible boxer, and if she was being honest, an incredible friend.

Why did he also have to be incredibly handsome?

A noise in the hallway made Mitsuru leap out of the borrowed bed. If this wing of the house was relatively unused, and Shirogane vowed to isolate herself in lieu of an apology, those footsteps she heard could only belong to one person.

* * *

For a boxer, you'd think Akihiko would be light on his feet, even when he was dead tired. Perhaps it was the solemnity of the dead end they'd just reached that was weighing him down. Inaba itself seemed to remember what they'd got up to last week in the tournament and wanted nothing to do with these destructive out-of-towners. On the way back to Shirogane's place, it started raining, and now he carried wet socks around, trying not to make any noise or leave any puddles. The butler had just pointed up the stairs and said there were spare rooms up that way and his "lady friend" was already there – which caused Akihiko to drop a shoe right on his foot. Yeah, Mitsuru was his friend, and she was definitely a lady, but...the two words together sounded really, really awkward. He liked Mitsuru, but not like _**that**_...

...right?

A door cracked open and he almost dropped his socks as well. "Akihiko?" Oh, good – Mitsuru's hair and eye appeared, and then the door opened wider and a hand beckoned him inside.

"Hey. I wasn't kidding; Inaba is seriously closed for the night. If the Dark Hour'd hit here, you never know it – there wouldn't be a single damn coffin for miles." Mitsuru hadn't responded at all to that, not even to scold him for joking about something like the Dark Hour. Something had happened while he was out. Then she turned on a lamp, and that was the end of his socks as he realized Mitsuru was standing there in nothing but the slip she'd had under the broken dress.

Without her kickass boots and intimidating attitude, it was easy to forget that Mitsuru was older than he was. She'd always been shorter, but since he'd spent the past two years bulking up, she seemed to have shrunk. She was also standing there holding her elbow and staring off into space looking like a lost little kid who'd had a bad dream. He just barely resisted the temptation to pat her on the head.

"What happened?" he managed to ask just as Mitsuru was beginning to ask, "Is it raining?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, "We've pissed off the entire town tonight."

"Then we are completely out of options." Mitsuru sat down on the bed, and Akihiko took his time locking the door in order to avoid looking at **that** image for too long.

"How'd it go with the old man?" There weren't any chairs, so it was either stand there on his aching feet, sit on the bed as well (yeah, let's not do that!), or perch on a dresser, which was uncomfortable, but the safest damn option.

"He's remarkably clever. He won't be content with being left in the dark much longer." Mitsuru replied. "However, it's not the elder Shirogane that's the problem,"

Now Akihiko realized why Mitsuru was curt with him on the phone. "Naoto doesn't wanna tell him about Personas." It made sense, of course. The more people in on the secret, the more liabilities you had. Plus, it all sounded like some kind of video game Junpei would waste hours playing.

Mitsuru tossed her hair out of her face – a gesture that never failed to catch Akihiko's eye – and sighed. "I suppose I should have considered this. Kurosawa's selective obliviousness has spoiled us."

"Yeah, well, it's starting to wear off. Public Safety can pretend they didn't know our mole, but the Port Island police did – and they knew him pretty well." After so many years of the Dark Hour, Akihiko had though he was immune to scenes of blood and death. He'd forgotten about guns. "Without the phone messages, it looks as if Kurosawa sent a man to his death for nothing." The dresser creaked as he shifted his weight. "He's not taking it well right now."

Mitsuru wasn't about to openly invite him onto the bed, but she'd make it sound like she was correcting his bad behavior so he'd comply out of guilt. "Try not to break the furniture," she said. He moved. It probably would have been more awkward if they weren't both feeling horrible. "Kikuno will be here in the morning. I've had her pull any files relating to Labrys, Ergo Research, and Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons from the last 50 years." She looked up at him, the lamplight dancing over her face. "I suppose you've realized that we'll have to reinstate you."

 _As if I would desert you while you're in this mess._ Akihiko had always known he'd never be able to escape Mitsuru and the Shadow Operatives. The allure of fighting would always tempt him back. Mitsuru knew that better than anyone. Knew _**him**_ better than anyone. "Heh. Well, I'm not exactly up for Rookie of the Year back at the station. I don't think they'll miss me."

"Their loss is our gain." Mitsuru turned out the light and moved over to the opposite side of the bed, and Akihiko suddenly realized she'd intended to let him sleep _**there**_. As if she'd read his mind, she said, "I don't think we should push the boundaries of Shirogane-san's already overextended hospitality any more tonight." _So let's push the boundaries of our friendship instead._

He'd wanted to argue, but he was tired and bummed and he didn't want Mitsuru to think he was offended at the idea of sharing a bed with her while she was in that slip. The bed was big enough for both them and the elephant in the room. They were adults. It was no big deal, right?

Then why was he sweating?

Should he take off his shirt? He never slept with a shirt on...but then again, he'd never slept with Mitsuru, shirt or no shirt. He ended up quietly taking it off while Mitsuru's back was turned, and slipped into the bed before she could notice. Hoping to keep the situation light, he called over his shoulder, "You think Kikuno will remember to bring my cape, too?"

A pillow hit him in the head.

"Ah, she probably will, anyway."

" **Good night,** Akihiko."

As he drifted off to sleep, he retained just enough consciousness to her Mitsuru mutter, "As long as she remembers my boots, I don't care what else she brings."

* * *

Mitsuru was warm. Very warm. Not uncomfortably so...more of a soothing warmth. It reminded her of the beach at Yakushima, with the waves crashing onto the shore, and a warm breeze rustling her hair. It was nice. She felt more relaxed than she'd been in weeks. Had she fallen asleep on a beach chair? She didn't smell the salty air, but she was smelling something...vaguely familiar. She moved her head, and something tickled her nose. The beach chair moved. Moved!?

Mitsuru forced herself to open her eyes, and found that she was laying on warm, taut skin and nuzzling a stripe of scar tissue. She had been sleeping on Akihiko's bare chest, listening to him breathe.

 _Oh. Oh, no._

Her brain frantically tried to piece together what had happened. They were in the Shirogane estate in Inaba, awaiting the other Operatives. It was late. She only meant to talk to Akihiko, but they talked for too long, and they were both tired. She had practically hugged the edge of the mattress last night – how did she end up here?

Her cheek was burning from the embarrassingly intimate contact, so she tried to move away, only to find that Akihiko's hands were buried in her hair, fingers threaded within her red locks as if he'd been petting her. Akihiko slept on; as Mitsuru moved her head, he murmured something in his sleep and shifted slightly, his hand tightening in her hair. And then he tugged on the hair in his hand, and it wasn't just her cheek that was flushed.

It was in that moment that Mitsuru realized Akihiko was very, very masculine – and she suddenly felt more feminine than ever.

Birds had begun chirping outside, and Mitsuru realized to her horror that it was mid-morning. At any moment, someone might come and knock on the door, only to find Mitsuru and Akihiko in bed together like a post-coital couple, after she had just vehemently insisted to Shirogane that they were not dating! **Kikuno!** Kikuno was set to arrive today – what on Earth would she say if she saw this? _Wake up, you infuriatingly virile idiot!_

Akihiko had suddenly become the world's deepest sleeper, with one arm tightly wrapped around Mitsuru and his face now buried in her hair. Each breath he took made her shiver as it traveled down her back. She couldn't be sure if it was his heartbeat pounding in her ear, or hers. Being this close to him was making her woozy. _So warm...how can someone be so warm without even wearing a shirt?_ He smelled wonderful. Why the hell did he smell so wonderful now?

And then Mitsuru noticed something else. It wasn't often, just every few breaths, but when Akihiko inhaled, there was this...flutter. One of his lungs didn't seem to be working as well as the other one. She'd never noticed that before – then again, she'd never been this close to him before. Did he, perhaps, have asthma as a child? She was so intrigued that she temporarily forgot herself and laid there listening to it.

FINALLY, Akihiko began stirring. Mitsuru took the opportunity to put one hand on his chest – ignoring the feel of the muscles beneath it – and pushed against him. Hopefully he'd think she'd just woken up, too.

Akihiko's eyes opened, and then they popped out of his head as he realized where he was. "WHOA! Uh, h-hey there, uh...what time is it? He lifted his arm to check his watch, forgetting that he wasn't wearing it, and instead came away with a few strands of hair from a yelping Mitsuru. All he could do was chuckle nervously. "Ah. It's awkward o'clock. Must've slept in." For a moment, they just stared at one another, unsure of whether to address what may or may not have happened. For years, Mitsuru had to tell hormonal teenage boys where her eyes were actually located. She'd never thought it would be turned back around on her!

Ringing cell phones broke the spell. Rather than have her climb over him to get to the dresser (OH GOD WHY DID SHE THINK OF THAT?!), Akihiko tossed Mitsuru her phone. Kikuno was texting her. She'd arrived at Yasogami High School, the only place flat enough to use as a landing strip, with all the Operatives. "Well," she managed to say, her voice sounding incredibly shaky and unsure, "we have roughly 20 minutes to compose ourselves."

Akihiko didn't sound any better. "Kurosawa called Inaba PD, that Dojima's gonna be in today. What do you want to do?"

Mitsuru remembered the argument she had with Naoto the night before and sighed. "We'll worry about that later. You'll have to go and meet Kikuno, seeing as how you're the only one with clothing." _Please put your shirt on!_ Akihiko complied without a moment's hesitation, and Mitsuru had to force herself to stay busy with her phone as she listened to him get dressed. Thankfully, he seemed as eager to get away from her as she did from him.

If their friends ever found out about this, perhaps they could claim Shadows were involved again.

It had worked before, after all.

pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

* * *

"Persona non grata" is Latin for an unwanted person, and the Iwatodai bunch is definitely feeling unwanted in Inaba this time.  
Also, if everyone seems to think you're already a couple, should you just go ahead and be a couple already?


	4. Together, After a Fashion

Kikuno rarely had any qualms about following her employer's orders. By all appearances, she was a typical maid, attending to her lady Mitsuru's needs and requests. She knew exactly how Mitsuru took her tea, and when to pair the tea with a slice of cake. She was always on hand to schedule appointments, brush hair, carry purchases, zip and fasten catsuits, keep swords sharpened, and provide air support against Shadows. Being a maid for a Persona user was not for the faint of heart. As her helicopter slowly descended into quaint little Inaba for the second time this month, Kikuno wondered (not for the first time) what it must be like to be a proper ladies' maid.

On board the Kirijo Group helicopter were a group of people so oddly diverse one could tell a joke about them all walking into a bar: A baseball player, an ethereal-looking computer nerd, a high school boy, a dog, two robots, and an actress. Few people would believe this motley crew was comprised of undercover Shadow Operatives. Perhaps that was the beauty of it.

One robot turned to the other. "Sister, are you all right?" asked Aigis, noticing that her companion was fidgeting. "You seem to be apprehensive."

"Huh? Oh, y-yeah," Labrys replied. "No, I was just thinkin'."

"Oh, you're probably just excited to be back in Inaba with your friends." laughed Yukari Takeba. She seemed much more relaxed now that she wasn't heading into battle wearing her Feather Pink costume. As Mitsuru's best friend, she was the first to answer the summons, despite only being an Auxiliary Operative.

"It's only been three days, Yukari-san." Few people would expect the voice of reason to belong to the youngest member of the Shadow Operatives, 14-yr-old Ken Amada. He was composed and wise beyond his years, but it came at the cost of his childhood. Kikuno could relate all too well.

The dog whined. "What's that, Koro-chan?" Labrys asked him. "Aw, Kanji-kun ain't that bad! He's just a big softy, that's all!" Koromaru, the Shiba Inu who somehow acquired the ability to use a Persona, did not seem reassured by that statement.

"He did seem really interested in Koromaru," Ken chuckled.

"He seemed pretty interested in that Naoto, too!" added Junpei Iori. Trust him to be thinking of girls at a time like this. At least it kept him from swinging his bat around the tiny space they were all crammed into.

"Stupei, if you keep smiling in that pervy way, I'm gonna push you out of this helicopter!" Yukari glared at him.

The very last passenger, quiet Fuuka Yamagishi, laughed at her friends' antics. "You know," she said, "they kind of remind me of Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai!"

Yukari gasped. "Oh, wow, they really do, don't they?" Now she was the one with the deviant smile. "I wonder if people think _**they're**_ a couple, too!"

"Wait," said Labrys, "are Mitsuru-san and Akihiko-san datin'?"

"No", Kikuno piped up from the cockpit. She knew how much Mitsuru struggled with rumors and her public reputation. If word spread that she was involved with a man, especially someone lower-born and technically working for her like Akihiko, it would take months to undo the damage wrought. Not that Akihiko was someone to be ashamed of. He cared for Mitsuru – in his own hardheaded way – and Mitsuru cared for him, so Kikuno held him in high regard. Plus, he was always courteous to the maids and servants. They were fond of him, and often indulged his strange habits. Mitsuru would usually roll her eyes, but she would privately ask the servants to fulfill his requests with something akin to affection. Perhaps Yukari was on to something, but again, it wasn't Kikuno's place to say...

...not officially, that was.

"Speaking of Naoto-san, don't you think it was a weird coincidence that her grandfather just happened to be at Mitsuru-san's party?" Ken pointed out.

"Public Safety hired Naoto-san specifically because she was experienced with Personas." Aigis said.

This set the entire helicopter on edge. Even Junpei knew the danger of casually mentioning Personas to outside people. At best, they could be considered mentally ill. At worst...well, he had seen enough movies about people with special powers to know what the government thought of them. "They know about Personas? About us?" he squeaked out.

"As the Shadow Operatives are legally required to cooperate with the police department, full disclosure was necessary," Aigis hadn't seen those kinds of movies, so she was slow to pick up on the implications.

"I don't like this," said Ken. Koromaru barked his agreement.

"Yeah, something about this smells fishy," Yukari agreed, "If the police think we're getting out of line, what's to stop them from telling the truth to the public? Or our jobs?"

Labrys had gone quiet again. "This is all 'cause of me, ain't it?"

"Labrys, no..." Fuuka began to get upset.

"These guys only started investigatin' Mitsuru-san when she took me outta the lab and..." Even now, the hijacking and "P-1 Tournament" was hard for her to talk about. Another god had been behind the whole thing, but they had plenty of material to work with in Labrys' resentful artificial heart.

" **BARK**!"

"Yes! Koromaru-san is right!" Aigis actually stood up in the cabin, causing a temporary shift among the passengers and cargo.

"Whoa, Ai-chaaaan!" Junpei's bat rolled under the seats, and his hat nearly went with it.

Aigis continued, "Labrys, you were as much of a victim as everyone else, and you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Aigis-san, I insist that you sit down at once!" Kikuno shouted. She knew Aigis' heart was in the right place, but her armor certainly wasn't at the moment.

"It-it's true," said Fuuka, "When I managed to break through the mind-control, I could see how Kagutsuchi was manipulating your memories." All the yelling had caused her to briefly revert back to her hesitant speech patterns. Koromaru had gone to sit in between Fuuka and Labrys, in case his calming presence was needed. "He knew exactly what buttons to push."

"It's all right, you know, Labrys," said Ken. "We understand what it's like to have been manipulated. Even Mitsuru-san didn't know what Ikutsuki was doing until it was too late."

Yukari pulled a face. "I still can't believe he conducting experiments on the side the entire time he was 'helping' us. We just thought he was this old guy with lame jokes."

"Well, he was, he was just also a mad scientist with kids locked up in a lab," said Junpei.

Labrys began idly petting Koromaru's head, avoiding everyone's gaze as she finally voiced what she was really wondering. "D'you...think Sho-kun's doin' okay?"

No one really wanted to reassure her. "Ehh, not gonna lie, that kid gave me the creeps," Junpei shook his head. "I'm not surprised he wanted Ikutsuki to be his dad."

"He just wanted someone to connect to," Labrys insisted, "He was kinda like me, you know? I didn't think the world was such a great place, either. But then I met Mitsuru-san, and Aigis...all you guys are such good friends to me."

"Oh, Labrys, I'm sure Sho-kun is happier now that he's free to live the way he wants," Fuuka soothed. "It's not your fault. You offered him your friendship, after all."

The helicopter touched down on Yasogami High's campus, and a crowd was already starting to gather in spite of one harried teacher ordering them to disperse. As the Operatives all climbed out, Kikuno offered Labrys one more piece of advice. "You can't always save everyone, Labrys-san, even when doing your best. Some people just don't want to be saved." It was a harsh truth, but it was the truth nonetheless. Labrys had gone from fatalistic to optimistic because she wanted to, but consensus on Minazuki was that he would always be convinced that the world should burn.

Kikuno considered it a tragedy that Lady Mitsuru was weak to fire.

* * *

Surprisingly, instead of a stretch limo with their friends inside, what showed up to the rendezvous was a small car containing Akihiko doing a bad policeman cosplay.

"Senpai!" Yukari greeted him. Then she did a double take. "Um, did you wash that in hot? I know shirts are kinda a new thing for you, but you've really gotta read the directions on the tags."

"Ha ha," Akihiko snapped back, poking her in the arm as he walked by.

Junpei cracked up laughing, so Yukari whipped out a mirror and realized her hair was frizzed out. "AAH!"

"Where's Mitsuru-senpai?" asked Fuuka as Akihiko happily retrieved his cape from Kikuno.

"Mitsuru had a...ahem...wardrobe malfunction, so she's waiting back at the house," explained Akihiko. "Which is good, 'cause she won't see us pulling those kids out of school so we can fill them in."

"She'll know anyway," Yukari muttered. Mitsuru had a sixth sense regarding mischief, especially if Akihiko was committing it. Still afflicted with clown hair, she sighed. "I'll go take her clothes to her. Wanna come, Fuuka?"

"Mm-hmm! I have some more of those files Mitsuru-senpai asked me to decode." The girls got into the car.

Aigis decided to join them. "Will you accompany us as well, Sister?"

"Nah, if you go, that means Koro-chan still needs a translator," said Labrys, "Plus, I think I wanna meet the real Student Council President here, make sure he's doin' a good job."

"Suit yourself. Hey, that reminds me," Yukari suddenly remembered, "How did Ken-kun get out of school today?"

The boy in question was currently shaking his head as Akihiko whipped off his shirt and donned his cape like a matador. When he noticed everyone watching him, he shrugged. "I told them it was a family emergency," he said simply, "It's not like they're going to check."

 _Check that you don't really have a family? No...that's not true. I guess_ we're _kind of your family._ The look on everyone else's faces pretty much confirmed they were feeling the same way. _Wait – does that make Stupei my idiot kid brother?! Ugh..._ Still, it was nice to think of the Shadow Operatives as just one big, dysfunctional family. They'd been through hell together, yet each one of them jumped at the chance to help Mitsuru out as professional Shadow hunters. _I guess that makes her the mom,_ thought Yukari as she got into the car. _Seems about right – she's always so preoccupied that I hardly ever see her._ It might have been petty, but Yukari had really hoped Mitsuru had been calling her to hang out, maybe celebrate her birthday with some drinks and gossip. But, no, it was work. It was always work. Would their entire friendship always be one small step forward and two giant steps back?

"Yukari-san!" Aigis was calling her. Apparently, she had zoned out for the entire car ride.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't realize we were here already! Better get Senpai's supervillainess costume to her." That may have been a bit mean-spirited, but really, did she not realize how cliché it was? She was 21, and already she was acting like an eccentric old rich person! Every time Yukari picked out something humans would wear for Mitsuru, she'd wear it once to pacify Yukari, and then it was right back to this getup. And to think she was complaining about Akihiko! (To be fair, though, everyone thought Akihiko looked silly. It only worked because he's a boxer and he might have taken one too many blows to the head).

Fuuka giggled, "Maybe she'll end up on your show someday."

"Well, at least then we'll get to see one another!" Yukari did a poor job of hiding her discontent as she patted down her frizzy hair.

Mitsuru was holed up in a bedroom, talking on her phone as if she were in her office and not a skimpy slip that was practically underwear, and yet still looking as if she'd planned it that way. _I guess when you look like that, you can get away with a catsuit._ Over in the corner were the tattered remains of a ball gown that looked like it had been attacked by a bear.

"Hey," Yukari called out, "who would've thought **you'd** have a party that got busted up by the cops?"

"Please don't start, Yukari," Mitsuru looked tired. Fuuka had a stack of files, but Aigis had her boots, and she seemed to be at loss as to what to grab first. She settled for the files. "We don't have time for frivolous things. Public Safety is out for blood, and I want to know why." She looked up and suddenly realized Yukari looked like she'd been through a wind tunnel. "Is it humid out?"

"Oh yeah – I may have mentioned to Akihiko-senpai that he needed a bigger uniform, and he didn't take it so well. I mean, did you see that thing? It looked like he was about to burst out of it!"

Mitsuru began blushing furiously for some reason, and decided to suddenly get dressed. "And what does Akihiko assume he's getting away with while you distract me?"

"Akihiko-san and the others have gone to Yasogami High School to extract the Investigation Team," Aigis replied.

"I knew I'd regret asking."

* * *

Meanwhile, at Yasogami High, Naoto was idly doodling on her study guide, unable to concentrate on anything except last night's argument. Was she being unjustly stubborn? Mitsuru's logic, while cold and clinical, had been sound. Grampa was shrewd and observant. He was bound to look into the alliance between the Shadow Operatives and Investigation Team now that he was aware of it. But how would she even begin to explain Personas to him? Naoto was capable of many things, but lying to her grandfather wasn't one of them. He was her only living relative, and she was **not** looking forward to having him used as a bargaining chip by Public Safety.

Several desks to her left sat Kanji, his head drooping every few minutes. _He must have been up all night doing alterations,_ she thought. Tatsumi-san had been openly delighted when she saw Naoto escorting him home; she would not stop coyly insisting that Naoto should stay for tea. Luckily, Kanji didn't press the issue, but Naoto could only imagine the argument that ensued once she'd left.

The classroom door opened, and Chie stuck her head in. "Hey, guys, coming to lunch?"

Kanji's head snapped back up and he jumped, banging his knees on the underside of the desk. "Gah! Dammit! Uhh...what's up, Chie-senpai? Is it lunchtime already?"

Chie rolled her eyes, and then a smirk appeared on her face. She began waving her hands around Kanji's head. "Noooo...this is aaaalll a dreeeam...you fell into the TV agaaaaaaiiiin..."

"CUT THAT SHIT OUT! I told you, it was an accident!"

"I'm afraid," Naoto interrupted before things got too out of hand, "that I must decline the offer, Chie-senpai. I'll be working through lunch this afternoon. With Public Safety flagrantly throwing down the gauntlet, the Shadow Operatives will need all the help they can get."

Commotion in the hallways interrupted them. "Hey, Chie-san!" someone called. Sporty Kou Ichijo ran up to the third-year. "Did you see that helicopter this morning? Daisuke's hiding under his desk 'cause he thinks the government's after him for swiping a pair of sunglasses from Junes, the idiot." He stopped and suddenly turned pale. "Oh, crap, don't tell Hanamura-san I told you that!" he squeaked, and ran off.

Fortunately, Chie was able to extract the important part of that exchange. "Helicopter?"

"That would be the remaining Operatives," Naoto concluded. "Perhaps I should join the rest of you after all. I'm sure all our questions will be answered on the rooftop."

The three students joined the throngs of teenagers moving through the hallway, picking up Yosuke and Yukiko along the way. As they made it to the rooftop door, they could hear a familiar voice. "Look at these little hooligans runnin' all over campus! They ain't even lookin' where they're goin'! You'd get to class on time if you weren't goofin' off at the shoe lockers!" Labrys was looking down at the courtyard, shaking her fist.

"Labrys!" Yukiko beamed.

"K-Koro-chan!" Kanji made a beeline for the dog.

"BEEF BOWLS!" Chie drooled as she saw the food the Shadow Operatives had with them.

"I told you it was a good idea to bring lunch!" laughed Ken.

"Is this about that news report from the other day?" asked Yosuke as Chie dashed past him to get to the food, "If you guys are hiding from the law, Inaba would be a pretty good place to do it."

"Not when the law has Inaba in his sights," Akihiko replied, "I know Mitsuru doesn't want you kids to keep getting involved, but you need to be informed. Public Safety knows just about every move Mitsuru makes; where she goes, what she does, who she talks to – including all of this tournament drama."

Naoto cut right to the chase. "This is a gag order."

"Essentially, yeah."

"I don't think anyone has come looking for information on Mitsuru-san so far," said Yukiko.

Naoto turned to Akihiko. "I assume Mitsuru-san has filled you in on our...discussion." If Mitsuru wasn't talking to Naoto herself, it could mean she was still upset about Naoto questioning her loyalties.

Akihiko didn't say anything one way or the other. "That's the important part, so pay attention." He reached behind him and took one of Chie's chopsticks without even looking or acknowledging her groan of discontent. "Public Safety also knows we have Personas."

"WHAT?!" cried all the Yasogami students except Naoto. Chie's other chopstick fell out of her hands.

"It's the reason I was hired," Naoto added. "Mitsuru-san specializes in Shadow activities, therefore, anyone she deals with must, at the very least, be tangentially aware of Shadows as well."

"We were talking about this on the way here," Junpei piped up. "If we don't do what they want, and they wanna be dicks about the whole thing, they could spill the beans to our friends and relatives."

Yukiko gasped, "They would tell our parents?"

"How do they know our folks would believe em?" asked Kanji. He drew himself up to his full height.

Akihiko had no qualms about taking down people taller than him. "Do you want to take that chance?"

"You gotta listen to 'em, Kanji-kun!" Labrys cried. "Public Safety is bad news! You guys are my friends...I don't want anything happenin' to you."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about," Yosuke consoled her, "at least, not with us humans."

"Yeah, if anyone's gonna run their mouth about Mitsuru-san, it's gonna be Teddie." Chie added.

Junpei looked around, and then pouted. "Hey, that daruma-thing doesn't have to go to school? Lucky guy..."

"We'll deal with Teddie Teddie after we've gotten in touch with everyone." Akihiko still hadn't realized his error. "Yukari managed to get to Rise through work, but she said she'd just missed Yu."

"Oh, Senpai won't say shit to anyone," Kanji said confidently, "He's smart like that."

"That's right," Labrys realized, "Yu-kun doesn't actually live here. Wish he coulda been here, too."

"He wasn't home?" Naoto couldn't help wondering if this was something to worry about.

"His school said the family was leaving town for the week." Ken explained. "Of course, they wouldn't tell Yukari-san where he was going."

Akihiko shook his head. "Really bad timing, too. He had to have seen the news."

"Has anyone spoken to Yu-san lately?" asked Ken.

"Just a few texts every now and then," said Yosuke, "Seems like he's just as busy at home as he was here." Everyone was so concerned for their absent friend that they didn't hear the door to the rooftop open.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Kanji.

"Calm down, guys," said a new voice.

"YU-KUN!"

"SENPAI!"

"Wh-Partner, what the hell?"

Yu Narukami stood in front of them, in his old Yasogami uniform, even. "Surprise."

"You can say that again!" Yosuke laughed.

A sly smile crept onto Yu's face. "Surprise."

Yosuke was nonplussed. "Really, dude?"

"Not that we aren't pleased to see you, Yu-senpai," Naoto attempted to reroute the conversation, "but what are you doing here so soon after Golden Week? Do you not have school in Tokyo?"

"Nope," Yu beamed, "My parents are going out of town again, so I'm a Yasogami senior for a week or so." He flipped up the collar of his jacket. "Finally, some clothes that still fit me."

"Boy, are we glad to see you, Yu-kun!" Labrys clapped him on the shoulder, forgetting her own strength. It was nearly enough to break Yu's trademark stoneface. "We've gotta lot to tell ya."

"As a matter of fact, so do I," said Yu, "Specifically, the other reason I'm here."

"That's going to have to wait until we meet back up with Mitsuru and get everyone in the same place at the same time," Akihiko piped up. "And knowing Mitsuru, it had better be after school lets out."

Yu was right back in the game as if he'd never left. "Junes food court, then?"

"All right," Kanji pumped his fist in the air in triumph, "Senpai's back and we're a team again!"

The bell rang. "After lunch, that is." Yosuke pointed out.

"You guys better get to class," said Labrys, "No skippin', ya hear me?"

"Of course not, Madam President," joked Yu. He even bowed as his friends began heading down the stairs.

"Man," Junpei groaned, "you're just as bad as Mitsuru-senpai!"

Labrys rounded on him. "Did you skip school too, Junpei-kun?"

"NO! No-no-no, of course not! Heh-heh! I was at school every day."

"Physically, at least," Akihiko quipped.

Junpei shrugged. "That counts, right?" Labrys didn't look convinced, so he continued, "Nobody could skip with you on duty, TruancyBot!"

* * *

Skipping class was an overlooked pastime, thought Ai Ebihara as she sauntered through the Okina City shopping center, nursing a latte. No one hassled her about biology or trigonometry, and the stores were practically empty. Her bags were getting heavy, though. The last time she'd skipped class, she wasn't alone...oh well, his loss!

As Ai lavishly spent her father's money, she only saw a few scattered adults drinking coffee or gabbing on their phones. Outside of Croco Fur, however, were some women she didn't know – and they were fashion nightmares! The tall blonde had on a suit jacket and headphones – _make up your mind, are you at work or not?_ A smaller woman next to her looked like some kind of hippie. She'd blend into the scenery if it wasn't for her aqua-colored hair. Well, at least the woman in pink seemed to know what she was doing; dragging a redhead into the store like a parent with their whiny little kid. _What on earth was_ _ **she**_ _wearing!? IS THAT A DEAD ANIMAL?! OH MY GOD, HOW TACKY!_ Well, there was no way Ai was going to stand there and let such a horrible fashion faux pas lie. She promptly forgot the weight of her purchases as she stormed over to the strangers.

"Yukari, we don't have time for this," the murderer was saying.

"Oh, come on, Senpai, when was the last time us girls got to hang out together?" asked the Lone Fashionista – Yukari, apparently.

"I believe it was the evening of Thursday, November 19, 2009, at the hot springs in Kyoto." said the blonde. Why is she talking like a robot?

"Yes, and that was such a roaring success that I see little need to repeat the scenario." _Wow, this bitch is cold as hell. No wonder she skinned some poor, defenseless animal to make a coat!_

The little one was talking, but Ai had to practically sneak up on them to hear her, "I'm still working on those files you gave me, Mitsuru-senpai, and I was hoping to finish them today..."

"Thank you, Yamagishi-"

"...oh, but it was your birthday, and we never got the chance to celebrate it!"

"See? Even Fuuka thinks we should have a day off," said Yukari.

Ai had always had a talent for sniffing out money, and right now, her nose was itching something fierce. This redheaded woman was loaded. No wonder she thought she could traipse around in anything she wanted.

Robo-Blonde's head suddenly snapped up without warning, and she looked directly at Ai. "Someone is approaching in a belligerent manner," she said. How did she see Ai from all the way over there, and how could she tell she was pissed?

"May we help you?" Mitsuru asked.

Up close, Ai could see that the fur coat covered a black catsuit. _A catsuit? You're stinking rich, and you dress like a biker chick?_ "In **that** outfit?" she sneered. "Please. I just came over to tell you how unbelievably tacky you look."

"What a rude little bitch!" Yukari snapped. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

"Relax, Yukari," Mitsuru reassured her, "I've heard much worse from much better. This is nothing." She sized her attacker up. "Meanwhile, **your** outfit clearly says that you should be in school right now – or are you planning on being _**fashionably**_ late?"

"Who wants to be cooped up in school with the losers?" scoffed Ai. "I'm rich – I don't have to be smart!" Then she yelped. "What the-? I didn't order an iced latte!"

The girls looked at each other. "Senpai", Fuuka said shakily, "let's just go." She gingerly touched Mitsuru's arm.

Akihiko had been wandering through this unknown city, having heard from Yakushiji that the girls were overheard saying something about shopping, when he felt a cool breeze out of nowhere. He went against his instincts to stay far away and instead followed it. Yep, there was Mitsuru getting pissed off at some girl. He hung back, lest she think that he thought she couldn't handle it.

"Perhaps you should return," she was saying, "since you clearly need a few lessons in tact." Yeah, she's got this.

"Why are you even wearing a coat in this weather?" the kid snapped back. "I don't need school to tell me fur is MURDER, lady! That is just disgusting."

 _Why are you even wearing a coat in this weather?_ Something about that statement triggered Akihiko and he couldn't resist making his presence known. "Hey, there you are," he called out as casually as possible. "You'll be happy to know that Labrys didn't let me break those kids out of school. In retrospect, it was a pretty stupid idea." Mitsuru smirked and turned to look at him, realized he was topless, and immediately turned back away.

Ai took one look at the white-haired guy with scars all over his chest and somehow managed to flash an even bigger sneer than the one Mitsuru got. "What the hell happened to _**you**_?"

Without missing a beat, Akihiko said, "How do you think she made the coat?"

Everyone stopped dead. Ai's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped open. She began slowly backing away, not saying anything, the handles of her shopping bags dripping from her hands. The coffee cup fell to the ground. She looked at Mitsuru, then at Akihiko, then back at Mitsuru...and then hauled her ass out of there as fast as she could.

Yukari's jaw was also scraping the ground. "OH MY GOD SENPAI!"

But it was Mitsuru's reaction that Akihiko feared most. She said nothing, only plopped herself down at a nearby bistro set, putting her head down. _Time to write my will. I'll leave my protein to Ken...nah, Junpei looks like he'll need it more. Ken can have my gloves. She's not gonna bury me in this cape, is she? Don't add insult to injury by putting a monkey suit on me after I'm dead!_

And then a funny noise confused their ears; the little table was shaking...and so was Mitsuru. Was that...laughter?

"Ha ha ha ha...!" She **was** laughing! "HA HA HA!" Holy shit, she was laughing hard enough to rival Yukiko Amagi! "Oh, Akihiko...you **didn't**! Oh, no...!

Akihiko could only gape at Mitsuru as she began wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. The giggling had progressed to full rolling belly-laughs, and he was sure people were staring, but he couldn't help but smile. He tried to remember the last time Mitsuru'd laughed this hard, and he realized she never had. She'd needed a good laugh for quite a while now – and brother, did it show! Who would believe that stern, serious Mitsuru Kirijo was actually capable of enjoying herself? The years just fell away from her face, and you'd never believe that she was struggling to carry on the family name after her father died right in front of her. Finally, she was a carefree young woman.

It was beautiful.

"Ow, my side! Oh, God!" Mitsuru was still struggling to regain control of herself and failing miserably.

"Mitsuru-senpai, have you been sleeping well lately?" Fuuka had turned redder than Mitsuru's hair with second-hand embarrassment.

"I'm...I'm sorry, I just...her face...oh, that poor girl!"

"We shouldn't have had coffee earlier," snarked Yukari.

"I believe it is virtually impossible to make a full-length coat from human chest hair," Aigis helpfully pointed out, "In fact, I question the logistics. Human hair grows an average of 1.25 centimeters in one month. To make a dress-length fur coat, one would need to wait nearly 144 months, or use the chest hair of several men after roughly 30 months."

This did nothing to suppress Mitsuru's laughing fit. In fact, she began shaking harder. "This...this is why Shi...Shinjiro tried so hard to...get you to _**eat your vegetables!**_ " Her face was even redder than Fuuka's by this point. That was the end of Akihiko as he suddenly got the joke and snorted out a laugh – which made Mitsuru fall down laughing, clutching her stomach.

"IT'S REALLY NOT THAT FUNNY!" Yukari groaned. "I cannot believe you actually said that to a high-school girl. That was something Stupei would've said! You sounded like such a pervert!"

"Aw, come on, you didn't think it was pretty smooth of me?" Akihiko managed to say.

Mitsuru had been attempting to stand until the pun came. Her head hit the table again with an audible THUNK, and she **howled** in both laughter and pain at the same time, smacking the table and rocking back and forth. Akihiko went to pick her up, and she slapped him playfully, right smack in the chest.

The laughter died away.

Time seemed to stop as they both realized Mitsuru's hand was still laying on Akihiko's chest, cool and soft, the same way it had been that awkwardly intimate morning. Aigis and the girls were temporarily forgotten as they once again just stared at each other, both of them breathing hard. Then Mitsuru cleared her throat and begun to return to her normal self.

"I'd say it was," she said, letting her hand fall to her side.

"Are we done?" Yukari was getting testy.

Akihiko had to shake off the feeling of Mitsuru touching him again. "Yeah, all right. What were you guys even doing here, anyway? I thought you were just bringing Mitsuru her suit."

"How often do the rest of us get to see Mitsuru-senpai?" said Yukari. "I know **you** forget her birthday all the time, but **we** don't!"

"Yukari, please," Mitsuru's voice was strained from all the laughing. It was jarring how quickly she could abandon her lighthearted mood for the usual one.

"That's it," Yukari stomped her foot. "We're throwing you a party whether you like it or not!" She stormed off towards the car, with Fuuka hurrying to catch up and calm her down. Aigis trailed behind.

Mitsuru sighed. "You may need to rescue me from this party as well," she said, giving Akihiko a million-yen smile. It was a good thing she wasn't touching his chest right now. He wasn't sure how to explain the weird fluttering feeling within it.

* * *

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Sorry about the long helicopter scene, but at least it doesn't have sound effects! One of the worst things about Ultimax – other than the unnatural mouth-flapping – was the damn background noises:  
"C'mon, guys, let's run!" "Okay!"  
TAPATATAPTAPTAPTAPTAPPITYTAPTAPTAAAAAAPPPPP!  
squeaksqueaksqueaksqueaksqueaksqueaksqueak  
Atlus, we get it, okay? We know what running sounds like and we know everyone's in a helicopter!

Chie mentions during her story mode that the actual Student Council President is a guy. Also, Kou still has that crush on her.  
Junpei thinks Teddie is a blue daruma (a Buddhist good luck doll). Also, is no one going to ever correct Akihiko? Do they just think it's funny? Or was I right, and they're just attributing it to getting bashed in the head too often?  
The joke, for those of you who didn't get it, is that parents would often tell kids to eat their vegetables because "they'd put hair on your chest", meaning they would help you grow up big and strong.


	5. Refracted

About time some Shadows showed up, isn't it?

By the way, if you thought Mitsuru was a bit too OOC in earlier chapters, rest assured that that is an in-universe reaction as well, and WILL be addressed in later chapters.

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* * *

The Junes food court may not have been a grand palace befitting pseudoroyalty, but it had the most important factor down: Mitsuru's friends and acquaintances. Hanamura used his influence to procure an actual cake (not "steak", as Satonaka unfortunately heard – small wonder she'd claimed Akihiko as her master!) The forks were plastic, but the sentiment was real. Even Teddie's overt advances towards her were a welcome contrast to the sexual subtext she received from countless businessmen thinking they were unique in being coy. (Her reaction to both was still the same, however.) The biggest surprises came with Narukami appearing out of nowhere, apparently reestablishing himself in Inaba as the Investigation Team's leader, and Kujikawa rescheduling her hectic idol career to reunite with him, complete with Yukari-esque petulant affection.

"SENNNNNNPAAAAIIII!" The aggressively effervescent girl squealed, complete with a dramatic near-boxing of her own ears. Amazingly, what little crowd there was in the food court hardly batted an eye at her behavior, suggesting this kind of thing happened often. Indeed, the rest of her team members simply sighed in aggravation.

The pantomime hadn't ended. "Naoto-kun, you didn't tell me Senpai was here! I would have come home earlier!" Kujikawa pouted, backhanding the detective. "How could you keep this from me?"

This, too, garnered a non-reaction. "I assure you, Rise-san, that was not my intention. None of us knew about Yu-senpai's return."

"It's true," the man of the hour finally spoke up, "I didn't even know myself until a few days ago."

"Well, then I'm just gonna have to call Inoue-san and cancel all my recording sessions so I can stay here with you!" declared Kujikawa. Her posture and tone of voice rung quite a few bells in Mitsuru's head. _She could very well_ be _Yukari!_

"You mentioned something to that effect at school today, Senpai," Shirogane remembered. She'd been hanging back, avoiding Mitsuru, but her attention to detail was flawless as usual. "Is there another reason your return coincides with Public Safety's bold advances against Mitsuru-san?"

Narukami turned to face Mitsuru. "I've seen Minazuki."

"Sho-kun?!" Labrys leapt up so quickly that the cheap plastic chair she'd been sitting in crashed to the ground.

Mitsuru's face remained impassive, but she had a hard time masking the apprehension in her voice. "Where?"

"Tokyo – although he said he was on his way back to Inaba."

"When was this?"

"A few days ago."

"Once again, we have no time for frivolity." Mitsuru stood up, effectively ending the party yet failing to notice Yukari beginning to sulk.

Labrys was still concerned. "Was he okay and all?"

" **Labrys** ," warned Mitsuru.

"I'm not exactly happy that Minazuki knows where I live," Narukami said coolly, "but he's the reason I'm here. If he's planning on using my friends to get to me, then I'm going to be there for them!"

"That's our Sensei!" Teddie beamed. "A real stand-up guy! Even when he's sitting down!"

"So, are we just going to wait for him to show up?" Akihiko spoke up from behind Mitsuru. He must have leapt up as well when Narukami dropped the bomb. "Public Safety's gonna have a field day with this – you told them Minazuki vanished."

Mitsuru just sighed. "To think I once believed that the worst birthday I'd ever had was the year Father went to Hawaii and refused to buy me a hula skirt." At everyone's confused stares, she added. "To be fair, I had just turned five."

Narukami's phone went off, and he began glancing around nervously after reading the message it displayed. "Speaking of little girls," he said, "Nanako's home from school. I asked Dojima-san not to tell her I was coming back, just to bring her to Junes for a surprise."

"Aw, she's gonna flip!" laughed Tatsumi. He seemed the least likely candidate to be discussing small children, but Shirogane had assured Mitsuru that appearances could be deceiving.

"Maybe now she can sleep at night!" added Amagi – to the apparent dismay of everyone else.

Narukami stood up. "What? Why isn't Nanako sleeping?"

Hanamura facepalmed, and Satonaka devolved into nervous babbling. "Who said anything about Nanako-chan not sleeping? Of course Nanako-chan's sleeping! Why wouldn't she be sleeping? I mean, that's what you do at night, right? **Right, Yukiko?"**

Amagi didn't seem to realize she'd misspoken. "But Chie, we were just talking about Nanako-chan sleepwalking the other day-"

" **RIGHT, YUKIKO**?!"

"Umm...r-right?"

Narukami was, understandably, not convinced. "Wasn't anyone going to tell me about this?"

"We didn't want to worry you, Partner," Hanamura insisted. "Dojima-san's already taken her to a bunch of doctors and we're all still looking out for her, just like we promised."

While the Investigation Team argued about communication, Labrys fidgeted. "Um...Mitsuru-san?"

"Labrys, you **are** aware that Sho Minazuki is still a fugitive wanted for, among other things, your kidnapping?" It was amazing how markedly different Labrys was from Aigis. In spite of being an earlier model, she appeared to have a much better grasp on human concepts such as empathy. Mitsuru couldn't fault her for that. When it came to Sho Minazuki, however, Labrys had a bleeding Papillon Heart.

"Yeah, I know, but...but nobody's helpin' him!" The pleading tone in her voice was so un-robotic, it was almost chilling. "His dad or whatever's dead, and he's all alone. Where's he stayin'? Does he even have a Persona anymore? Ain't ya bothered at all by that?"

"Bark!"

"Sister," Aigis and Koromaru tried to reassure Labrys. "Recall what Kikuno-san said earlier: Minazuki-san has refused acts of kindness. Attempting to help someone who denies said help is counterproductive and futile."

Mitsuru added the last nail to the non-Dark Hour coffin. "I've declared a moratorium on aiding people psychotically anticipating my death. Being crucified twice is more than enough."

"You said it!" agreed Akihiko. "Labrys, we've got enough problems on our hands. If we don't deal with Public Safety's vendetta, you'll be left wondering where Mitsuru's gonna live."

The joke that rose to the surface of Mitsuru's mind was in horrible taste, but she seemed unable to keep it down. "Hmm. So you won't put me up, then?" _Just what is wrong with me these days?_

Once again, Akihiko did not miss a beat. "Well, you do put up with me, so I guess it's only fair. Hope you like protein, 'cause that's all I have in the fridge."

"Is there anything else you guys aren't telling me?" Narukami's voice suddenly rose above the noise of the crowd. "Are Naoto and Kanji married now or something?"

Both teens immediately blushed. " _ **SENPAI**_!" they said almost in unison. Tatsumi began muttering to himself, while Shirogane pulled her hat down as far over her face as it could go. Clearly, the remark hit home. It did seem plausible, with the way Tatsumi hovered by Shirogane's side, striking first whenever someone made a disparaging remark about her appearance. Shirogane humored him, insisting to Mitsuru that he was, in fact, an intuitive thinker with an eye for patterns. Perhaps they were in denial about their shared feelings, but it seemed obvious, even to a casual acquaintance like herself.

An elevator arrived and deposited its passengers, including a gruff man carrying his jacket over one shoulder, and an animated small child skipping alongside him. "Junes, Junes, Juuu-nes!" she sang. "Is this my surprise, Dad?" Ah. These would be the Dojimas, Narukami's extended family.

Mitsuru took the opportunity to study Kurosawa's elusive police contact. He also bore the typical hard-boiled detective squint as he took a final drag of a spent cigarette before flicking it away. His face morphed into a smile as he addressed his daughter. "Not yet, Nanako. Almost there," he chuckled, the affection evident in his tone of voice. Nanako smiled up at her father as if he were her entire world. Perhaps he was. _Hold onto him while you can, little one._

Almost immediately, the Investigation Team's members moved to obscure Narukami from sight, even as they called to the little girl. "Nana-chan! Over here!" Teddie began bouncing to Nanako's rhythm.

Nanako's face shone as she bounded over to the exuberant bear. "Hi, Teddie!" She stiffened up when she caught sight of the strangers he was with, however. "Oh..."

Teddie either didn't notice, or had already anticipated this. "Nana-chan! I have a beary big, super, tremendous, mondo-important question to ask you!" He cleared his throat, and attempted to look as serious as a cartoonish mascot costume possibly could. "Have you been a good girl this week?"

Nanako looked confused, but answered the question anyway. "Um...yeah!"

"A BEARY good girl?"

"Yes."

"But have you been a beary, beaaarrry, BEAAAAARRRRRY good-"

"Teddie!" Hanamura admonished, "Can we get this over with before Junes closes for the evening? I think she gets the idea." He smiled at Nanako as he and the others moved apart. "Guess who came to see you?"

Nanako's eyes went wide and she reacted with such joy that it put Kujikawa's display to shame. " **BIG BRO!** " she shrieked as she ran and leapt into his arms. "Big Bro, you're **back**!"

The sheer cuteness of this display actually broke Narukami's trademark disaffected coolness. "Hey, Nanako," he managed to say in spite of the girl's arms tightly wrapped around his neck. "It's so good to see you."

Are you going to stay with us again? Did you bring me something from Tokyo? I've been working really hard on the garden, just like you showed me! Did Dad tell you that I got the best grade in my class for my science project? Marie-chan helped me with it! She said we could show it to you together! Oh! Can we go pick flowers by the Samegawa? I remembered something else about my mom..."

When she showed no signs of stopping, Narukami patted her head. "Whoa, calm down! We can do all of that and more, I promise."

"I missed you, Big Bro."

"I missed you, too."

Beside her, Akihiko flinched as if he'd been struck. That's right...he had a little sister once, too. Perhaps she'd even been the same age as Nanako, happily chattering like a monkey while he humored her. Mitsuru turned back to look at Akihiko, and her heart sunk into her stomach as she saw the struggle in his face to hide the pain. He never talked about his sister, and Shinjiro was less than accommodating when she'd tried to ask about it. What was he like, as a brother? He was always so patient with Amada, even after the boy caused the death of his best friend. He'd never admit it, but he shone with silent pride when one of the others thanked him for helping them with their problems. At the very least, SEES had given him that – though it seemed more like cold comfort now. _I suppose that's all I'm good for lately,_ Mitsuru thought to herself as she winced at the unfortunate pun. Artemisia didn't seem pleased, either.

Labrys – more by accident than design – pulled a Teddie and abruptly broke the contemplative mood. "Aren't ya the cutest little thing! You're Yu-kun's cousin? Boy, are you ever lucky!"

Nanako's face lit up. "Uh-huh! I've never seen **you** before. Are you Big Bro's friend?"

Narukami nodded as he placed her back on her feet. "Nanako, this is Labrys."

"Pleased to meet you!" Labrys actually stuck out her hand, which took Nanako aback, but she shook it gingerly. "You know somethin'? I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for Yu-kun and his friends!"

"Wow," said Nanako, "Me, too!" _What an odd thing to say._

"OH! Lemme introduce you to **my** friends!" Labrys began dragging Shadow Operatives over to the girl. "This is Aigis – she's my sister, actually, can you believe it? I only met her this year!"

Aigis, by contrast, seemed uneasy around erratically-moving objects. "Greetings."

"And Yukari-san. Boy, I bet she's glad you didn't recognize her!"

"Oh, _**that's**_ not suspicious at all, Labrys," Yukari grumbled, but Mitsuru knew she secretly got a kick out of kids worshiping Feather Pink.

"Bark!"

"Oh, a dog!" Nanako began bouncing again. Koromaru happily circled Nanako, sniffing her and deciding that she was either trustworthy, or smelling of food, perhaps both.

"I wasn't forgettin' ya, Koro-chan!" Labrys assured him.

Nanako gasped. "You can talk to dogs? That's so cool!"

Dojima chuckled again as he gave Labrys a conspiratorial smile, assuming she was just humoring the child.

Shirogane took over the introductions. "Dojima-san, allow me to introduce you to Mitsuru Kirijo and Akihiko Sanada."

"Well...we meet at last." Mitsuru said as Dojima began sizing her up. "You are not an easy man to get a hold of." _This should be interesting...will I be too young, or too pretty? He doesn't seem like the flattering type._ She should have Kikuno get a set of business cards made with, "Yes, I am an adult, and flattery will not get you anywhere." printed in several languages.

"I should warn you – I'm not an easy man to buy off, either. So _**you're**_ Kirijo, huh?"

"Oh," Nanako perked up, "you're not as scary in person as you are on TV!"

Mitsuru was not prepared for that statement. "Thank you?" she managed to say. _I should have that printed on the cards as well. "Not really scary, this is just my face."_ Iori began laughing so hard that he fell off the table he was lounging on, and Yukari immediately began smacking him.

Akihiko cut straight to the point as usual. "Kurosawa get in touch with you?"

"Guy left like a dozen messages at the station," replied Dojima. "What the hell is this about? I don't see why you need some small-town detective out in the sticks if you've already got your own at home."

This man was going to be a hard sell. Shirogane claimed he'd been presented with information about Personas...filtered through the mindset of a misogynistic serial killer, which he'd clearly written off. It would have to be cold, hard facts and legalese, then. Luckily for them, Akihiko was both a policeman-in-training and a blunt object.

"The Shadow Operatives are legally required to cooperate with the local police force when operating within their jurisdiction," Mitsuru said without letting on that this was _technically_ not always true. Yes, Kurosawa had contacted the Inaba PD after the hijacking, but they more than likely weren't aware of what was going on in the supernatural world connected to their department store. Shirogane's involvement wasn't even made public.

Dojima still didn't seem convinced. "Why me, though? And why Inaba?"

"Surely you recall last year's murder investigation, and the – ahem – _**colorful**_ testimony from your former partner?"

Mitsuru had unwittingly found the trigger phrase. "Uh-uh. Not in front of my daughter. We can pick this up at the station. **Tomorrow**. Nanako! We're leaving," Dojima called over his shoulder.

And just like that, they were stonewalled. Narukami recognized the tone of his uncle's voice and went on the defensive, with the rest of the Investigation Team following suit. If Mitsuru hadn't been so aggravated, she'd have been impressed with the united front fervently guarding the precious commodity that was a child's innocence.

* * *

Yu had followed the Dojimas back down through Junes, so the rest of the team followed shortly afterwards. Naoto found herself once again revising her opinion on Mitsuru's understanding of familial loyalty. Dojima-san had two hypersensitive pressure points: Adachi, and Nanako. The imperious queen had managed to strike both with one blow.

Downstairs, Yu was attempting to diffuse the tension with his usual aplomb, and Teddie was undoing his progress with **his** usual idiocy. Dojima-san was having none of either.

"What the hell's wrong with that woman, talking about the murders in front of Nanako?" he growled. "The hell does she even know about it, anyway, some eccentric rich kid waltzing in here with her furs and her lackeys? She's never even **met** Adachi!"

"Calm down, Uncle!" Yu pleaded. Nanako was shying away from her father, clinging to Yu's jacket. Hopefully, all the talk about Adachi wasn't bringing back traumatic memories for her.

"Adachi-baby saved us!" Teddie unwisely decided to add, "Mitchan and Akky and Ai-chan and me were all surrounded, and beary tired! But Adachi-baby used his Per-MMMFFPH!"

Yosuke leapt on the bear suit and covered the area that represented Teddie's mouth with his hands. "TEDDIE, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Do you have roaches on the brain again?" When Teddie stopped struggling, he quietly added, "Ix-nay on the ersona-Pay!"

Nanako had been staring at something on the ground, and her eyes suddenly widened. "D-dad?"

"I'm taking Nanako home. Don't stay out too late." Dojima said to Yu. To everyone, he added, "I'm warning you all right now: don't get involved with Kirijo and her clowns. We don't need any trouble around here. That goes double for you, Shirogane!"

"With all due respect, Dojima-san, I'm afraid that will be impossible," replied Naoto. "My connection with the Shadow Operatives now runs deeper than ever." As Dojima turned away in disgust, movement out of the corner of her eye caught Naoto's attention. "That's odd...according to the position of the sun, our shadows should be originating from the opposite direction."

Everyone immediately looked down. "And why the hell is yours bigger'n mine?" Kanji noticed.

Without warning, the shadows belonging to Naoto and Kanji began moving on their own, coagulating and joining with Yukiko's and Chie's.

"DAD!" Nanako shrieked as Dojima-san's shadow rose up and began advancing towards them. Shadows!? In the real world!?

"Aw, shit! We're surrounded!" shouted Kanji as the Investigation Team instinctively closed ranks. Judging by the screams that echoed through the night, this was happening all throughout Inaba.

"What's happening?" cried Chie. "Why are there Shadows out of the TV World?"

"I can't tell!" Rise's tears were genuine this time. "There's so many of them, and I can't summon my Persona!" It was a mark of how serious the situation was that no one thought to scold her for breaking the masquerade – which was basically shattered by this point.

Just as the encroaching darkness threatened to swallow them whole, the familiar sound of a Persona being summoned was heard, and a whip cracked the air, vanquishing several shadows. Naoto looked behind her to see a plague mask and spiked armor of shining silver. _Artemisia._

"Operatives, fan out!" Mitsuru's voice rang out as she lowered her Evoker and raised her sword. "Find the civilians!"

The Shadow Operatives poured out of Junes, armed to the teeth and calling forth their Personas as they took off in search of unlucky townspeople. Ken and Koromaru shot by Naoto as they headed up the street, already in pursuit of a Shadow. Yukari stationed herself on the opposite side and began sniping the Shadows that came their way.

Behind her, Fuuka stood within the bubble of her Persona, searching the perimeter "Junpei-kun, two Shadows are heading right for you!" she called out. "Aigis! Help Akihiko-senpai!" What this all looked like to Dojima-san, Naoto was afraid to guess.

Beside her, Kanji was flexing his muscles and swearing under his breath. "If I only had a freaking chair!" Just then, he noticed a bent traffic sign, and the look in his eyes signaled trouble. He reached out...and Mitsuru intercepted him out of nowhere. _How did she know what he was planning?_

"Stay back," she ordered. "We'll handle this."

The others began protesting. "We are **not** civilians!" Yu insisted.

"You are unarmed, and we don't have enough Evokers to go around," Mitsuru shot back. "I don't need any of you running off and getting yourselves killed. You **know** the danger involved, Narukami."At this, Yu was forced to submit. Mitsuru Kirijo was frightening when challenged.

Familiar screams were being heard: Dojima-san had taken a swing at a particularly persistent Shadow, and it craftily used his momentum to throw him to the ground. Chie and Yukiko were trying to help him up, but the lack of her healing skills had left Yukiko in uncharacteristic tears.

"Labrys!" Mitsuru barked.

Labrys launched herself over their heads, bisecting the Shadows with her ax on her descent. "Get outta here, girls!" she ordered as she took over the rescue mission. Dojima-san was hysterical at this point, actually taking a few swings at Labrys, which she weathered without even flinching. "It's okay, Dojima-san! I gotcha!" Naoto watched with just a touch of bemusement as she scooped up the grown man like a kitten and slung him over her shoulder, leaping out of the danger zone and back behind Fuuka's sphere of protection.

"Nanako!" Dojima-san screamed as he finally became aware of his surroundings, "Where's Nanako?"

Nanako had stopped screaming the moment the Shadows surrounded them. She stood completely still as they amassed, disturbingly calm. Her father's frantic cries didn't seem to reach her. Had she suffered a complete psychotic break?

"Nanako-chan!" everyone called to her. No reply. Not even a flinch. Yu was beside himself with fear. Naoto suspected his brain was working feverishly to try to figure out how to save her.

Teddie squeaked his way out of the protective circle and threw himself down the street at her. "Nana-chan, what are you doing?"

Finally, Nanako responded. "Teddie...do you hear that?" Her voice was faint and dreamy, as if she'd been...

...sleeping.

Nanako was watching the shadows ebb and flow as if they were fireflies dancing. She was completely entranced. What was going on?

"Mitsuru!" Akihiko's voice hit them all fairly hard. "We've got trouble!"

"Very observant, Akihiko, **I would have never had guessed!** " Mitsuru oriented herself in the direction his voice was coming from – it must have made it easier for her limited communication skills – and glared so fiercely, he must have felt it wherever he was. "Care to be more specific?"

"Since when do we have fast-acting Apathy Syndrome?"

"What?"

Junpei added his voice to the mix. "These people are complete flakes!" he said. "They're just stumbling around like zombies! No one seems to realize I'm here. I even pinched a few of 'em – nothing!"

"They seem to snap out of it when you kill the Shadow in front of them." Akihiko was clearly out of breath as they heard him slugging away.

Doors began opening along the road, and people were coming out of their homes. Mitsuru stopped dead in her tracks, confusion on her face slowly giving way to horrified realization. Naoto was right behind her. The people wandering the streets were all children and young teenagers.

Now Mitsuru seemed to be zoning out as she began talking to herself. "Wait...Could...?"

"NANA-CHAN, COME BACK!" Teddie was pulling on Nanako's arm, but to no avail. She began walking off in response to something they couldn't see.

This was enough to spur Mitsuru into action. She lunged at the Shadow enticing Nanako and stabbed it straight through. Nanako gasped and looked up at her tearfully. When she spoke, it was so faintly that they had to strain their ears to hear.

"They're really mad." she whispered.

This seemed to confirm whatever Mitsuru was fearing, because she allowed herself one small shivering gasp. The other Shadows began circling them again, determined to reclaim Nanako.

Mitsuru snapped. "NO!" She grabbed Nanako forcefully, turning her away from them. "Nanako, look at me! **Do not listen to them,** no matter what they tell you! Cover your ears. Sing to yourself. Pay no attention to them!" Nanako was paralyzed with fear, so Mitsuru took the girl's hands herself and placed them on her ears. "Look," she pointed with her sword. "Go to your cousin. Straight towards your cousin Don't look back. Just go!"

"Nanako!" Yu threw himself forward and held out his arms. "Nanako, come to me!"

Nanako stumbled forward and seemed to be forcing herself to move."Uhhh...ev-every d-day's...day's great a-a-at your Junes..." she warbled, "Eve-ry day's great...every day's...BIG BRO!"

"Don't be scared, Nanako! It's gonna be okay! Just keep singing!"

"Every day's great at your Junes...every day's...great...at your...Junes..." Nanako clamped her hands over her ears as tight as she could, but the Shadows were amassing faster than Mitsuru could defeat them.

"Almost there, Nanako!"

"Every day's gre-ah!" Just then, Nanako tripped and lost her concentration.

"SHIT! NANAKO!" No one had ever heard Yu swear like that, or grasp his own hair as if to pull it right off his head! He had gone apoplectic with rage, his hands balling up into fists – and then he cried out in...pain? Anger? Frustration? Naoto and the others could only watch in amazement as Yu stood up and opened his hand to reveal a familiar card.

" **COME, IZANAGI-NO-OKAMI!** "

* * *

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I had called it a plague mask, but Artemisia's mask kind of looks more like a Venetian carnival mask - I just can't make up my mind which one. . /page_ What do you think? Scaramouche?

Real World vs. TV World has been talked about so much that I decided it was time to try and break the rules a bit.

Little cameo by the street sign commonly used by the "hits like a truck" party members.

I'm contemplating Yu/Rise. I don't really have strong feelings about Yu ships one way or the other, except NOT Naoto, and also NOT Marie, but for different reasons. I like Marie as a character, but has anyone else noticed that she treats Yu pretty much the same way as Ai Ebihara did? "Hey! Take me somewhere! Hey, buy me food! DON'T READ MY POEMS, YOU STUPID JERK! I like you..."


	6. Afterimages

Previously on Shadowborne:  
Real-world Shadows are playing Pied Piper, and Yu can summon now.

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* * *

"What the hell?" Kanji was the first to voice what they were all feeling. "Senpai just summoned his Persona out here!"

The sky began raining Shadows as the force of Yu's Awakening exploded all around them, obliterating everything in his path. Yu struggled to catch his breath as his temper cooled and he dashed over to where Nanako had fallen. "Nanako! Speak to me!"

"Big Bro?" Nanako looked as if someone had run over her dog in front of her. "Did-did they...lie?"

Something told them she wasn't talking about the Shadow Operatives. "Who lied?" Yu asked her, but she didn't seem able to answer.

The other Operatives had made it back to Junes to assist Mitsuru who, while injured, was watching Narukami with a mixture of admiration and sadness. "Well, that was convenient," Akihiko quipped.

He offered a hand to Mitsuru to help her up, but when she didn't take it, stopped to take a longer look at her. "You in there?"

The Investigation Team, now free to move, chose to surround Yu instead. "Oh, Senpai!" Rise beamed, hearts in her eyes as per usual, "You did it! You summoned your Persona!"

"Sensei's the best!" Teddie was able to change his eyes into literal hearts, which was even more disturbing than being attacked by one's shadow.

"I thought you said that your team wasn't able to summon your Personas unless you'd gone into the TV?" Ken asked. Naoto was curious about that as well. They'd each attempted it quite a few times when Teddie had gone missing, but to no avail.

"I...I don't know what happened," Yu struggled to make sense of it all. "Nanako was in danger, and I knew I had to do something, **any** thing, and I just..."

"-had someone you wished to protect," Mitsuru finished for him, finally accepting Akihiko's hand – which surprised him, since he'd forgotten about it. She went quiet, looking away rather than meet anyone's eyes. Yukari gave her a basic healing spell and a sympathetic smile.

"Yu." Dojima-san had been quiet the entire time, but now he studied his nephew with new eyes. "It's all true, isn't it?"

There were many things left unsaid, but Yu chose to start with, "Yeah." Nanako was safe. Everyone was tired. It was a discussion better left for another day.

"I don't suppose you guys have anything to add?" Dojima asked of the Shadow Operatives.

It was Akihiko who spoke first. "Yeah, you can have an official statement...tomorrow. At the station."

"Fair enough," Dojima attempted to chuckle, but it turned into a sharp cough. Naoto briefly wondered if Labrys had inadvertently broken one of his ribs. "Why do I feel like I've been gored by a rhinoceros?"

"If Yu-kun could summon his Persona," Yukiko realized, "then does that mean I could heal Dojima-san?"

"I dunno," Chie shrugged, "try it."

Yukiko stepped away from the others, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and...nothing happened. She scrunched up her eyes, balled her fists, and made a straining noise that made her appear to be passing a kidney stone. "Errrgh...Konohana Sakuya...!" Still nothing.

Kanji began laughing. "You sound like you're constipated, Yukiko-senpai. What, didja eat your own cookin'?" Yukiko glared at him.

"A little of Rise's cooking will help there," added Yosuke. Rise began glaring as well.

Before the war of the sexes could begin anew, Mitsuru cleared her throat. "Yukari, Amada." The two Operatives – who Naoto only just remembered were healers – stepped forward. To Dojima-san, Mitsuru said. "At present, you have two choices. Although I suspect you would prefer an actual hospital, if you'd like..."

Dojima looked at the perky pink woman and the kid not much older than Nanako and winced. "Let's go with hospital," he said.

"That's fair," Ken nodded. "This is probably a bit much to take in all at once."

Dojima raised an eyebrow, one of the few things still in good shape. "How old are you, kid?"

"Physically, I'm fourteen."

"Bark, bark!"

"Don't you start, Koromaru!"

The dog whined.

Yu and Kanji helped Dojima-san up, and Mitsuru called for her limo, shutting down all protests because there were 17 people and a dog all needing transportation. As they waited, Naoto's friends continued to try summoning while Labrys apologized profusely to Dojima-san. He seemed more amenable towards Labrys, in spite of her being an Operative, since Nanako had immediately taken to her. Did he suspect she was a robot? She had all but advertised it with her rescue.

Mitsuru was lost in thought. Akihiko had left her alone, but he kept stealing glances at her as he assured Aigis that he was keeping up with his studies. The moment he had mentioned killing the Shadow to save the civilian, she reacted as if she knew exactly what was happening – and feared it like nothing else. "Don't listen to them", she had said. Listen to who – the Shadows? Shadows had never talked to any of them, unless you counted Teddie, but he seemed to be an anomaly.

Has something like tonight happened before?

The limo had arrived while she was musing. "Are you coming, Naoto-kun?" Rise was asking.

"Yes, of course," Naoto replied. The only way to get answers was to follow the source.

* * *

Akihiko normally didn't ask questions he didn't want the answer to, but something was bothering Mitsuru, and it wasn't going away. Apathy Syndrome might not have been what was really going on, but it sure as hell looked like it to him. Junpei had agreed, so he was glad of that. _I'm happy that Junpei and I think alike...how often does_ that _happen?_

Mitsuru had retreated so far into her head that she failed to notice Junpei and Yukari bitching at each other, Teddie Teddie loudly crowing about how beautiful everyone was, and Yosuke breaking a switch on the console panel and blaming Chie for it. Dojima and his daughter were lucky enough to sit up front with the driver, since the limo was so damn crowded it might "aggravate his injuries". (Akihiko suspected the only thing aggravating him was their existence.) She didn't even notice she was being watched by Akihiko – or Naoto. Akihiko knew the pint-size detective suspected something, and she would be on Mitsuru's ass until she found out. What worried him the most is what she would find.

Mitsuru didn't talk much about her past, and for good reason; what little Akihiko knew about it gave him second-hand nightmares. The reason Ikutsuki was so good at conducting experiments on that Minazuki kid was because he'd seen them done them before...on Mitsuru. That was the gist of it, at least as far as Akihiko could gather. The one time Mitsuru had even skirted around the subject was when Shinji accused her of treating them like "lab rats", which uncharacteristically upset her so badly that they just had to know why. They soon wished they hadn't. It was so bad, whatever happened, that Mitsuru could barely get through a few sentences without crying and shaking, and she was out of it for several days afterward. Yukari didn't know how close she came to getting executed when she accused Mitsuru of using them all to clean up her grandfather's mess. He was lucky to have stopped her in time.

Inaba's hospital was smaller than Port Island's, but it still had that unsettling, too-clean smell. The receptionist recognized the Dojimas and went on and on about Nanako's "miraculous recovery" from something that had happened last year. She agreed to set everyone else up with a doctor, and when Mitsuru assured the woman she'd be paying for it, her eyes lit up and she tried to look as professional and busy as possible, loudly replying, "Well, we appreciate your patronage, MISS KIRIJO!" Great. They'd forgotten that Mitsuru technically owned a branch of this hospital, the one Minazuki had been stored in. A flurry of activity kicked up as everyone assumed Mitsuru was coming to inspect the place. Doctors could be heard hurrying to diagnose patients in every room.

Mitsuru had calmed down somewhat on the ride over, but now she heard a voice that made her freeze up. "It can't be...!"

"What's wrong, Senpai?" Yukari asked her.

Mitsuru gave her an empty smile. "Nothing." She shook her head. "I thought I recognized someone, but...no, that's impossible."

Since Koromaru couldn't come into the building, Ken stayed outside with him, insisting he hadn't been hurt. Teddie Teddie had been bugging Yosuke about nurses, and the boy's face went red as a beet and he excused himself, dragging the bear outside with him. Junpei couldn't resist perving over that, so Yukari kicked his ass outside, too. Kanji had been watching Koromaru the whole time with an unsettling look on his face, so no one was surprised when he tried to casually announce that he needed air and would be going outside.

Yosuke left a bit too soon, because a nurse showed up only seconds later. "Dojima-san!" she scolded, "Didn't I tell you to take care of yourself? Look at the example you're setting for your daughter! Do you **want** to be admitted again?" Jeez, she sounded like the matrons at the orphanage! Akihiko wouldn't have been surprised if corpses were rising up out of the morgue just to get away from her. She nagged Dojima down a hallway, with Nanako and Yu following him, and Rise following Yu. Were they dating? Apparently, Yukiko didn't think so, because she took off after them, after she and Chie exchanged looks. God, teenage girls and their drama. This left most of the Shadow Operatives, along with Chie and Naoto, waiting in the lobby. Mitsuru desperately wanted a drink of water all of a sudden and Akihiko was about to talk her down when a new voice caused the cup to slip right out of her hand.

"Well!" A middle-aged doctor approached them with an Ikutsuki smile on his face. "I heard the illustrious Kirijo name being thrown around, but I didn't expect to see _**you**_ here, Mitsuru-chan!"

Mitsuru had gone pale, and she was shaking. "Nn-no, no, you c-can't be...you're dead, you were all dead, I saw it, it's not...possible, no!"

"Mitsuru?"

"Senpai?"

The man took a step forward, and Mitsuru started hyperventilating and backed away unsteadily. She was rubbing her wrists as if they were itchy. "Oh, that's no way to greet your favorite doctor, now, is it?" he cooed, and Mitsuru sobbed and hid behind Akihiko, who had immediately assumed a fighting stance, but couldn't concentrate because the woman he feared most on this planet was **cowering**.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded of the stranger.

"My apologies. My name is Tsukuda. I'm part of the rotating staff here at Inaba Municipal, but for a time, I worked for the Kirijo Group under Kouetsu-sama."

That name sent shock waves through the Shadow Operatives. Aigis closed her eyes as if she were deep in thought – which for her, meant accessing databases. "Subject found," she said. "Hayate Tsukuda, medical consultant for Ergonomics Research Laboratory, 1974-1999."

Now it was Dr. Tsukuda's turn to look surprised. "Those records were expunged," he claimed, "Are you a mech maiden? I thought they were all destroyed!"

"I expect the same could be said about you, Tsukuda-san," Aigis snapped back.

The doctor's eyes popped out of its head. "Your model shouldn't have a personality module!"

Mitsuru shook again. "Why?" Mitsuru, who had been putting a virtual gun to her head since her early teens, trembled. The same Mitsuru who had shouted down a god and beat the shit out of a demon wearing her own face was now looking as if she was going to wet herself in fear. What had this asshole done to her? "Why aren't you dead?" she whispered, wringing her hands.

Naoto didn't seem to realize she was witnessing something virtually impossible and coolly addressed the doctor. "You say you worked for Mitsuru-san's grandfather?" she began, "It was brought to my understanding that those under Kouetsu Kirijo's employ perished along with the man himself, in an explosion in the year 1999."

"Yes, I'm aware of that," Tsukuda replied, the tone of his voice changing drastically. He had quickly realized that Naoto was not afraid of him. "But there's a very simple explanation: Some of us were not at work that day."

"What?" squeaked Mitsuru. "No!"

"There was a special project in the works," Tsukuda continued. "After the apparent failures of the Potential experiments, Ikutsuki-san began assembling a team from various departments – people whose defection would have gone unnoticed. I was preparing to report this to Kouetsu-sama later that evening...only to find that he had been killed, and our research destroyed."

"Well, aren't you lucky," Akihiko muttered darkly. Behind him, Mitsuru buried her face in his cape.

"Yes, I was." the doctor actually looked sad for a second. "Perhaps it was a sign from a higher power telling me to reevaluate my life choices, which I decided not to ignore. Takeharu-sama," and at this, Mitsuru's head snapped up, "officially dissolved our department and destroyed all evidence linking those of us who remained to the Kirijo Group. We didn't work for them anymore. We didn't exist. Or so we believed," he added, glaring at Aigis. "I had enough medical training to get myself through school, so I decided to start fresh, become an actual doctor, and try to add some good back into the world to replace the evil I'd helped perpetuate."

This sounded so well-rehearsed that even Chie and Labrys looked skeptical. For his part, Akihiko wasn't buying any of it, not even bothering to hide his derisive snort. Even if the "good doctor" had gone straight, he did something so fucked up to Mitsuru that she was terrified of him. No amount of bandages and lollipops could ever make up for that.

"Why wasn't I told?" Mitsuru was desperately trying to overpower her fear with anger. It was a good tactic...when it worked.

"How convenient that you would end up in Inaba of all places," Naoto observed. Heh. Kid wasn't so easy to rattle. Akihiko suspected she got her answers by staying on someone's ass until they cracked.

"Hey, wait..." Labrys had picked up on something, too. "What was this 'special project' thingamabob?"

Tsukuda looked startled at Labrys' accent, but kept up his story. "I'm afraid I can't say. Ikutsuki-san became very secretive towards the end of our association." That's when the rest of the Operatives came to the same conclusion, and their eyes all met: Sho Minazuki. It had to be.

"So...who else survived the explosion?" Yukari asked.

 _Oh, goddammit, Yukari, not now. Don't start that again, not now!_

"Yukari-chan," Fuuka tried to politely say what Akihiko was rudely thinking.

Tsukuda took a closer look at Yukari's face now that he had a name to go with it, and lit up. "Takeba's kid had Potential? We had two? Unbelievable...tell me, how old were you when you Awoke?" He began advancing towards Yukari.

" _ **DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!**_ " shrieked Mitsuru. She grabbed Yukari and yanked her away from Tsukuda.

"Senpai! Calm down, okay? You're freaking me out!"

By this point, Akihiko was struggling to contain his anger. "I think it's time we left," he said, "Chie, tell Dojima-san we'll be waiting in the limo." Mitsuru had gone silent again, staring at absolutely nothing, mouth working, but no sound coming out. "Mitsuru?" She didn't respond, so he took her by the chin and lifted her head to meet his eyes. "Hey." She'd never been this frightened, to his knowledge. Her eyes were as big as saucers, and tears glistened in them. TEARS. Akihiko suddenly didn't trust his voice not to crack as he spoke as softly and as gently as possible. "You wanna go outside?" Mitsuru nodded vigorously, so he put his arm around her shoulders and slowly, painstakingly walked her towards the exit. She walked like she was trudging through water wearing leg irons, but she started picking up speed as she got closer to the doors. The other Operatives soon followed.

"Allow me to wish you a happy belated birthday, Mitsuru-chan!" Tsukuda called out.

 _You MOTHERFUCKER, I will punch your teeth down your throat and straight out of your ass!_

"Yukari, take Mitsuru outside."

Yukari knew exactly what was going on. "Senpai, don't! Seriously – there are witnesses! Let's just go – Mitsuru-senpai looks like she's gonna throw up!"

Oh shit, she did! They got her outside, and Koromaru came running up, sniffing Mitsuru and nudging her with his nose. Of course – he could hear her screaming from out there.

"Hey, what hap-WHOA!" Junpei just barely got out of the way as Mitsuru dove into the bushes. Yukari and Fuuka made a mad dash for her hair. Akihiko ended up holding her coat as she slipped out of it.

"Is something wrong with Mitsuru-san?" Ken asked.

"Did the hospital make her sick?" asked Teddie Teddie.

Akihiko sighed. "It's a long story."

The girls got Mitsuru to her feet and into the limo. Once she was safely tucked into the far corner, Yukari got back out. "You know something, don't you, Senpai?"

Akihiko handed her the coat as he looked back at the hospital, now casting a very sinister shadow. "Yeah." He shuddered. "But I wish I didn't."

* * *

Dinner at the Shirogane estate somehow ended up being equal parts riotous and somber. With the Amagi Inn partially closed off due to some plumbing problems, Grampa had extended his invitation to the rest of the Shadow Operatives, who had arrived with no set plans other than to reconvene with Mitsuru and Akihiko. Naoto had decided she should just go back to her own apartment, away from Mitsuru and the subject of local contacts, but she had failed to account for the gregarious aggravation that was Risette TM.

Rise, upon finding out that all the Operatives stuck to one another like glue, loudly mourned the fact that their Investigation Team had all but gone their separate ways. "It's been sooooo long since we had a sleepover!" she said, dramatically fainting on the table. "Naoto-kun, you have this great big house, and you never, ever invite us over."

"This is my **grandfather's** house," Naoto corrected her.

"I don't think he'd mind! He let all the Shadow Operatives stay here, didn't he?"

"Yes, well, the Shadow Operatives are clearly from out of town, Rise-san."

Unfortunately, the other girls on the team were siding with Rise. "Aw, c'mon, Naoto-kun! We all had fun at Yukiko's house!" Chie argued.

"Yukiko-senpai's house also happens to be an inn," said Naoto, "and with all due respect, I find your definition of 'fun' to be drastically different from my own." The team's last "sleepover" included such highlights as the boys spying on the girls in the hot springs, the boys accidentally going into Ms. Kashiwagi's room instead of the girls', and the girls making a big deal over Naoto's unveiling.

Rise would not be deterred. "PLEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSEEEE, Naoto-kun!" she pleaded, making her eyes look comically huge and batting her eyelashes – which not only made Naoto uncomfortable, but got the attention of all of their friends – and Grampa.

Naoto sighed. "Very well. I suppose I will ask Grampa about it this weekend."

"What about now?" Rise threw her arms wide. "We're already here!"

"Wh-Rise-san, this is a school night!" Naoto protested, "Not to mention extremely last-minute! I don't think anyone's parents or guardians will agree to such impromptu terms."

"Oh, Chie and I do that all the time," Yukiko assured her. "We just bring over our pajamas and our school bags and go to school together the next morning."

Damn. Well, surely Grampa would say no, wouldn't he? There were already far too many people in this house, even if the Shadow Operatives were gracious guests. They spoke in low voices – even the more excitable ones like Junpei – and cleaned up after themselves until Yakushiji stepped in to insist that they didn't need to. Even Koromaru was just lying down in a corner of the room, watching his friends converse.

Mitsuru sat alone, talking to no one and requesting nothing except a cup of tea, which her maid Kikuno brought to her. She spoke only to Kikuno and, after some prompting, Akihiko, the latter ensuring that no one else bothered her during the meal. As they watched, Mitsuru finished her tea and then went upstairs to the room she'd been using. She most likely wouldn't want to be disturbed by a bunch of giggly girls.

"I will ask," Naoto eventually said, "but remember, Rise-san: whatever Grampa says, goes."

In retrospect, Naoto really should have known by now that being made to eat your own words after a full meal was a good way to give yourself a sour stomach. Not only had Grampa been open to the female Investigation Team members staying, he eventually agreed to the male members as well – although they were in different rooms down the hall. As the others ran off to get their belongings, an argument broke out over whether or not to bring chopsticks (Naoto REALLY hoped Chie and Yosuke won that one!).

Kanji had remained fairly quiet about the whole idea, even when Yosuke began teasing him about "having a sleepover with Naoto." Yu nipped that argument in the bud almost immediately, but the too-tall tailor's discomfort was impossible to hide. Was he avoiding her because she refused his mother's invitation the other night? Perhaps he just had more work to complete at home. He **was** tired at school today. Yes, Naoto was overthinking the matter. This event was just unexpected, that was all. There was no time to let her imagination get the best of her when Rise was brandishing chopsticks and a devilish grin.

* * *

Naoto awoke to a dark room and sobbing noises at what she expected was the wee hours of the morning. Groggily, she turned on the light and found Rise in the other bed clutching her head, the sheets tangled around her. "Rise-san?"

"It's awful." Rise muttered. "Oh, Naoto-kun, it's so awful! Why aren't they stopping it?" She appeared to be having a nightmare, but she was currently awake, and it was still affecting her.

Then Naoto heard someone else crying...on the other side of the house. She quickly put on her robe and opened the bedroom door.

Beside her, Chie and Yukiko had also come out of their room and were looking confused. "Is everyone alright? We thought we heard a scream," asked Yukiko.

Sniffles from behind her indicated that Rise had also gotten out of bed, though she was hugging the door frame. "It's...it's Mitsuru-san." Ah. Rise's communicative Persona must have unfortunately allowed her to pick up on whatever distress other Persona-users were feeling.

Naoto motioned for the others to follow her and they crept down the stairs and through the landing, picking up the boys on the way. Rise retained enough presence of mind to dramatically cling to Yu as a source of comfort.

"Waaah! What's going on? Is Mitchan all right? Does she need her Teddie?" Teddie seemed to be more on edge than Rise had, wearing a pajama top and the bottom half of his costume, stumbling around like he was still half-asleep. As they got closer, they could hear for themselves just how serious things were.

"NO! FATHER!" Mitsuru was thrashing violently in her bed, sweating and sobbing but not actually awake. "FATHER, COME BACK!" Kikuno and Yukari were both struggling to hold her down while pleading with her to wake up. Fuuka was curled up by the door, sobbing, while Aigis and Labrys tried desperately to console her. Koromaru was flat on the floor, covering his face with his paws and whimpering.

"Milady! You're only dreaming again, it's just a dream! Please wake up, Milady!"

"No...no-no-no-NOOO! Get away from me, I can't, I don't want to do it anymore! **FATHERRRRRRR**!" Mitsuru was whimpering and flinching away from anyone who tried to touch her as if they were causing her pain.

Something was odd about this whole situation. Naoto knew that many people in the middle of a nightmare would thrash about, sometimes flailing their arms as if they were trying to escape some phantom assailant. Mitsuru's arms, however, remained by her sides as if she couldn't move them. Some sort of localized sleep paralysis?

Yu had been watching her and could not resist quipping, even in a situation like this. "On the case already, Naoto?"

A huge crash sounded from upstairs, followed by a series of smaller thumps. Suddenly, Akihiko appeared, his hair standing up in several places and his eyes wide. "Mitsuru!" As he ran by, they could smell that he'd been in the shower. If Naoto had to guess, he had most likely failed to navigate an unfamiliar room, and then fallen down the stairs in his haste.

"FATHER WHERE ARE YOU?" wailed Mitsuru. "No, stop, stop!"

Kikuno rounded on him. "What happened?" she demanded. "What happened today? She hasn't been this bad in years!"

"I don't kn- **the doctor**!" Akihiko was still trying to catch his breath. "There's an old Kirijo doctor at the hospital here. Mitsuru, she-she started freaking out, I've never seen her that scared before."

"A doctor?" Kikuno had a terrified look on her face as well.

Yukari was still vainly trying to wake Mitsuru. "Senpaiii! You've got to wake up!" Shaking Mitsuru by the shoulders only seemed to make her scream worse. As Akihiko came closer, Yukari took in both his state of undress as well as Mitsuru's and prepared to scold him, but he didn't even seem to notice her.

"Mitsuru." The moment he spoke, her sobs quieted. "Mitsuru, you're all right. Shh. Wake up." And then Akihiko did something everyone seemed to have forgotten about in their panic: he reached down and took Mitsuru's hand. This broke whatever spell she was afflicted with, and she stopped thrashing and shaking, her sobbing reduced to soft fretting.

Yukari finally realized they had an audience. "Sorry! We're sorry, everyone. You can go back to bed now – sorry to have disturbed you all." She began shooing them out of the room. "Are you okay, Fuuka?" Fuuka nodded silently, wiping her eyes.

"Man, that was intense," a hatless Junpei said, worry still in his eyes and the eyes of the other Operatives. "I woke up looking for my Evoker – I didn't know what the hell was going on!"

"This is related to whatever happened in the hospital this afternoon, isn't it?" said Ken.

"Kikuno-san?" Yukari called back to the maid, "You said this has happened before?"

"It was a regular occurrence after Lady Mitsuru's Awakening," replied Kikuno. "But she'd gotten so much better, to the point that she was finally allowed to live in the dorms with Akihiko-san and Aragaki-san." She looked guiltily at Akihiko as she mentioned Shinji, but he said nothing. "The last time she had such a nightmare was...after the funeral," she said quietly.

Naoto knew from her research that Takeharu Kirijo "succumbed to illness" sometime during Mitsuru's senior year and there was little to no mention of Mitsuru's mother. Clearly, Mitsuru and her father were very close...but what had he left her to experience that was giving her these violent nightmares?

"Mmm..." Mitsuru had finally woken up, her eyelids heavy as she tried to shake off her dream. She looked around as if she were trying to find something – or someone – and then she collapsed in tears, falling forward onto Akihiko's chest. Akihiko murmured something to her as he stroked her hair.

"Who was the doctor?" Kikuno asked.

Everyone seemed preoccupied, so Naoto stepped into the room. "I believe he said Tsukuda-san."

Kikuno froze. For a split second, fear reflected in her eyes, and then she hardened her face into an impassive mask. "Clearly you were incorrect," she said fiercely.

"No, that sounds right," Yukari added, "He knew my dad, too."

" **No, you must be wrong.** " Even Mitsuru looked shocked at her tone of voice. "I must be off, I have something I need to attend to." She looked at the couple on the bed. "I am sure you will be all right, Milady." And she left.

Naoto now had a case.

But did she want it?

* * *

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Mitsuru has Mom Friend Override. :)  
Okay, first I wanted Dojima to make the "anyone get the license plate of that truck?" joke, but I realized that was in bad taste because that's how his wife died. Then I wanted a joke about a mechanical bull, but THAT'S Asterius, Shadow Labrys' Persona! What's the Japanese equivalent of being knocked on your ass and joking about it?

Now, remember in P3, when Yukari found out about the explosion and Mitsuru began saying, "Besides, some of us were never given a choice..." and Akihiko stopped her from saying anything more? He knew something. He was the only one (outside of Ikutsuki) who wasn't shocked when Mitsuru was telling her story. I would imagine that Shinjiro knew, too - he was just never available to admit it.

Also, regarding Yukari and the doctor...I pictured Eiichiro Takeba as the type of new parent who went around gushing: "Have I shown you pictures of my Yukari? She just said her first word! Yukari took her first steps today. Look, here's Yukari on the swings!" et cetera, et cetera.


	7. Lend Me Your Ears

It had not been one of Mitsuru's better nights.

The darkness and fear that she'd been trapped in last night still lingered in the corners of her mind, ready to pop out and seize her the moment she showed even a hint of weakness. Not even spending 45 minutes in the shower this morning could wash it away. To make matters worse, she was supposed to meet Dojima at the Inaba police station later that day, to discuss Personas, Shadows, and anything else she'd need to explain in order to secure his assistance. She'd have much preferred Shirogane-san, but her shameful display last night certainly put the kibosh on that.

The Shadow Operatives had moved to a hotel in Okina City as soon as it opened, prostrating themselves with endless apologies. Kikuno had not returned. Mitsuru had been told that she'd taken the helicopter in for repairs and then reported to work at the mansion as if nothing unusual had happened. Why had she been so eager to get away from Mitsuru, especially after Mitsuru had had one of her horrible nightmares and was in need of assistance? Thank heavens for Yukari, who was either not mad about the party abruptly ending, or good enough of an actress to hide it so she could help her friend. And Akihiko...

She'd woken up that night truly hoping to find her father protecting her. It had been three years since his death, but some mornings, she still found herself wishing with all her being that she could open the door to his study and find him hard at work there, coffee left to go cold, phone glued to his ear and desk covered with contracts. Maybe if she just waited there a bit, he would come home. It had broken her heart when she opened her eyes and realized that he wasn't with her. He was gone, and she cried because of that as well as her fear.

But she had found Akihiko. Warm, comforting Akihiko who didn't seem to care that she was crying on his impossibly sculpted chest. Strong, safe, protective Akihiko who held her and stroked her hair, saying whatever reassuring things he could think of. He had just gotten out of the shower, and he still smelled of whatever soap he was using; clean and masculine. At the hospital, he'd been the one to guide her away from that... **horrible** man when she was struggling to remember how to walk or even breathe properly. She could feel the tension in his body as he stood in front of her. He'd shown a remarkable amount of self-control, and Mitsuru couldn't help but be proud of him for resisting the temptation to punch Tsukuda's face in.

How was that monster even alive? Who else had survived? Why didn't anyone inform her of this? Kikuno had gotten so angry, angrier than Mitsuru had ever seen her. SHE LEFT HER EMPLOYER! A maid does not walk away from her boss without orders, ESPECIALLY when her boss is a young lady in distress! And she left her half-asleep, half-naked emotionally compromised young lady in the arms of a half-naked man who was not a relative or her husband! Yes, it was Akihiko, and yes, there were others around who would have surely stepped in if something untoward had happened, but...Kikuno LOVED Mitsuru! She had refused to fly out of danger when the Shadows had Mitsuru's team surrounded, even though it could have meant the death of her! Just how many people had been lying to her throughout her life?

Her phone buzzed itself towards the edge of the nightstand. She knew who it was without even picking it up. Mitsuru had requested that the Operatives leave her alone so she could power nap before meeting Dojima, and Akihiko was emphatically opposed to this. He must have known she wouldn't be able to sleep a wink.

The message he'd sent her simply read, "These damn kids need BOTH their parents", and it was accompanied by a picture. A picture of... _oh good lord!_

Someone had acquired a set of fake cat ears and decided to place them on Akihiko's head. Mitsuru nearly dropped her phone as she laughed out loud. The look on Akihiko's face indicated that he had completely run out of patience. Perhaps Aigis had taken the photo; Yukari could be seen in the background, her face bright red with laughter. Oddly enough, the ears looked like a natural fit. They practically matched his hair.

Mitsuru: How stylish.

Her phone buzzed almost immediately.

Akihiko: Maybe you should wear them.

You've already got the suit.

Mitsuru: Very funny.

Another picture arrived, this one with Koromaru looking quizzically at Akihiko with the ears.

Akihiko: Uh oh.

For the second time this week, Mitsuru could not stop herself from laughing at her oldest friend. It wasn't that he was never amusing before – his dry wit was a refreshing change from the sophomoric boys their age – but Mitsuru had prided herself on being able to control her emotions. Two uncharacteristic giggle fits was already three too many. Apparently, the universe decided it was going to test her this week.

Akihiko: You okay?

Mitsuru: I don't know.

I am just...so confused.

Akihiko: WHAT THE HELL?! THESE THINGS MOVE!

Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to type that.

Of course you are. No one likes their past coming back to haunt them, but your past has actual ghouls in it.

You're not alone, though.

You know that, right?

Mitsuru: I know.

 _But why does it always seem to be you beside me?_

Akihiko: Gonna have to shock Yukari though, sorry.

Mitsuru: Bad kitty.

* * *

The Investigation Team had convinced Mitsuru that Inaba was small enough to traverse on foot, so the limo stayed behind as Mitsuru's preferred form of transportation _**finally**_ arrived: her motorcycle. After sitting dormant for at least a year – with the keys elsewhere – she'd decided a while back to try revving it up again, to see if she still remembered how to ride it. Thankfully everyone was too preoccupied with their new lives to watch their badass senpai crash into a tree. But she'd persevered, and soon she was zooming through the streets again like she had as a girl with her future full of promise. All the problems in the world were left in the dust as she rode, unencumbered and free.

Akihiko used to like to ride with her, too.

The other Persona-users had once again gathered at Junes – really, the only place they could go other than school – waiting for Mitsuru. Akihiko must have checked his phone a hundred times, but the last message had been 20 minutes ago, assuring him that she would meet him there. The kids were getting restless, arguing about food...or chopsticks, for some reason, whatever.

A rumbling noise disturbed the piece and quiet, and Kanji looked angry. "Aw, you gotta be kiddin' me! I thought I got rid of those asshole bikers!"

 _Heh...I should have known._ Akihiko shook his head. He looked at Yukari, and realization slowly made its way onto her face. She groaned and rolled her eyes.

The noise was coming in their direction.

Inaba's narrow streets lent themselves much better to smaller wheels, and before long, Mitsuru had arrived at Junes. Reactions ranged from amused to annoyed to utter shock at her appearance.

Yukari was facepalming. "Senpai..."

Shirogane blinked several times before stammering out a confused, "Mi-Mitsuru-san?"

"Now the outfit makes sense," Hanamura couldn't help but add.

"WOWZA!" Teddie panted. "What a bewitching biker babe! Mitchan, you can rev me up anytime!"

"I seriously wouldn't have pegged you for someone who rode a hog," Tatsumi smiled.

"I would think you of all people would refrain from judging someone by their appearance." Mitsuru retorted. "Don't touch the bike," she added as the teens began inching closer in appreciation.

Akihiko had been chuckling the entire time. "Inaba's gonna wish they'd never met us."

"It's a little late to worry about that," laughed Mitsuru. She pulled the spare helmet out of the compartment that used to keep her Shadow radar equipment and held it out to Akihiko. "Coming?"

"Oh, now **this** I gotta see!" Satonaka joked. Mitsuru did have to admit that the sight of Akihiko's cape billowing out behind them as they rode would look quite amusing, especially to small-town people who rarely if ever saw a motorcycle. She also knew that Akihiko had been very vocal about her driving. It was adorably quaint; the man who lusted for power instantly became a senior citizen when faced with something faster than him.

The one flaw in her plan became clear when Akihiko hopped on and wrapped his arms around her waist. She'd forgotten about that. Luckily, the helmet obscured her face as a sudden heat washed over it. How many times had Akihiko held her this week?

Shirogane had agreed to meet them at the station to help smooth things over with Dojima. She had failed to mention, however, that Dojima was the only officer who tolerated her presence.

"Oh look, boys," a wiry rodent of a man at the front desk teased as they walked in, "Nancy Drew is back."

"Good afternoon, Suzuki-san," Shirogane greeted him as if she hadn't heard a word he said.

This irritated him more. "Look, kid, we haven't had any reports about stolen lunch money or lost teddy bears. You don't need to keep coming back here. I mean it!"

Again, this went in one ear and out the other. "We're here to see Dojima-san."

Suzuki finally took notice of who Shirogane had come in with, his ferret-like face splitting into a disturbing grin when he saw Mitsuru. "Well, well, well – what have we here?" He then eyed Akihiko and added, "is the circus in town?"

"Why – you hoping your people will come take you back?" Akihiko quipped.

It took Suzuki a full minute to realize he'd been insulted, and then he sneered. "Hey, Dojima, more kooks for ya!" he yelled. Now the entire precinct was staring at the woman in a catsuit and fur coat with a motorcycle helmet under one arm, the topless man with a hooded cape and hair that belied his actual age, and their least favorite junior detective. _So much for improving relations._

A muffled curse sounded as Dojima apparently spilled his coffee. "Oh, it's you. All right, let's get this over with." he grumbled as he shook his burned hand.

As they moved towards the interrogation rooms, cops poured out of the woodwork to heckle Shirogane. "Ooh, Detective Prince! Did your boyfriend commit another crime?"

"You turning yourself in for impersonating a man?"

"Hey, hey, I gotta case for you: It's called 'The Mystery of the Empty Coffee Cup' – why don't you go solve that for me, and fill 'er up?"

Mitsuru was livid. "How much longer are you going to stand for this?"

"Mitsuru-san, please..."

"This is blatant sexism! I would have their badges! It is 2012, and such outdated, **insulting** attitudes are positively primeval! **How dare they?** " Mitsuru had finally come to understand why Shirogane insisted on obscuring her gender. She didn't condone it, but she understood. Unprofessional barbarism ran rampant, and it turned her stomach.

Dojima – who Shirogane had held aloft as the police department's paragon of virtue – simply laughed. LAUGHED! "Okay, so some of the boys are a little prickly. But how often do you get a girl on the police force?"

"Got plenty of them in Port Island," said Akihiko. "I'd say at least 30% of the cops are female. Underestimating them will seriously cost you."

"Come on. Have you ever met a woman who could take down a perp?"

Akihiko merely gestured to Mitsuru.

Dojima looked at Shirogane, who nodded. "I can confirm this," she said, smiling.

If this kept up, Mitsuru wouldn't be able to wear her helmet on the ride back. Time to shut this down. "As much as I enjoy steamrolling misogyny," she said, "my time is very valuable, and fortunately for you, I cannot waste it on the emasculation this farcical law enforcement branch sorely needs. I believe you said you had questions for us? If not, then we shall see ourselves out." Snickering from behind them indicated that the other officers were very amused at this dressing-down Dojima was getting.

Dojima just rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "We're in room B. Leave any weapons you've got on you out on the cart here." His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he witnessed Mitsuru removing her sword. She passed Akihiko the helmet and sauntered into the interrogation room as if she were the officer, claiming a chair. If he thought she'd be intimidated by this setup, he had another think coming.

There were only three chairs, so Akihiko leaned against the back wall. When Mitsuru met his eyes, he discreetly directed her attention to the far corner of the ceiling. _Hidden camera,_ she noted, _well spotted_.

"Last night..." Dojima began before trailing off, removing a pack of cigarettes and contemplating lighting one. She couldn't blame him; if what was going on was indeed what she was fearing, the worst of things was yet to come. Even a man accustomed to tangible, rational dangers could sense it, in spite of not fully understanding what it was. He was right to be afraid.

"Last night was unprecedented for a number of reasons, some of which I've yet to discover." Mitsuru knew she had to choose her words carefully, but every explanation she could draw from fell flat when up against last night's Shadow surprise attack. Real-world Shadows, with no Dark Hour to exist in? "Forgive me...I haven't quite been myself lately. What do you know about the Shadow Operatives?"

* * *

Two hours and three cigarettes later:

"So let me get this straight: you're telling me that Adachi actually **saved** you? That bear kid was telling the truth?"

"Believe me, it was not my proudest moment," Mitsuru muttered.

"And the kid who broke him out of prison is still at large, but he told Yu he was coming back here?" Dojima turned to Shirogane.

"That's correct," Shirogane replied.

"What does any of this have to do with Nanako?"

"That remains to be seen," Mitsuru answered. Shirogane clearly realized she was leaving many things unsaid, judging by her expression, but she didn't want to share what was purely speculation at this point. She'd like to talk to the child, but Dojima would certainly refuse. Perhaps Labrys would be a better fit here.

The door opened, and an intern came in with one of the Evokers and what must have been a report. After he left, Dojima examined the report and frowned. "Why are these guns chamber-less?"

"If I'd known you were going to examine our Evokers," Mitsuru glared, "I would have brought a prototype."

"Figures – it was mine." Akihiko suddenly spoke up from behind her. Mitsuru was about to tell him it was impossible to tell from that angle until she saw the gleam in his eyes that indicated he had an idea. Knowing Akihiko, it was more than likely the same idea she'd just had.

"You keep calling these 'Evokers'."

"Because that's what they're called. 'Psychosomatic triggering devices' doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, now, does it?"

"What do they do?"

"In your hands, most likely nothing. In the hands of Akihiko or myself, and quite possibly Shirogane, they are used to summon our Personas." Mitsuru had suspected as much ever since Narukami managed to Awaken just in time to save his cousin. Severe danger was essential to real-world summoning.

Predictably, Shirogane flinched. "I believe I'd rather not," she blurted out. "Too much potential for confusion."

Dojima went silent for a moment, and then took the bait. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but let's see." When Akihiko put the Evoker to his head, however, Dojima tried to leap in several directions at once. "DROP YOUR WEAPON AND PUT YOUR HANDS-what the...?"

 _I really shouldn't enable him_ , Mitsuru thought as Akihiko cockily commanded Caesar to take out the camera. After receiving a look he knew all too well, Akihiko also healed Dojima's hand.

Dojima wiggled his fingers experimentally and asked, "How'd you know that was there?"

"There's always a hidden camera," Akihiko explained.

"You guys don't shoot yourselves in the head, do you?" Dojima asked Shirogane.

Her laughter confused him. "Not quite. While the Shadow Operatives seem to summon their Personas through life-threatening situations, we learned to summon ours in the TV World through intense concentration, and a desire to find the truth. Until last night, none of us thought it was even possible to summon in the real world."

Dojima just shook his head slowly. "I dragged that kid to the station and locked him up like a common criminal," he remembered. "The truth...what do you do when the truth scares the hell out of you, and you don't **want** to find it?"

Shirogane looked away. "Face it anyway, and come out stronger for it."

Dojima looked at Akihiko, then back at Shirogane. "Adachi has one of these?"

"Yes," she replied.

"...and the first thing he decides to do with it is murder people." Dojima muttered. "Dammit, Adachi."

"Happens more often than you think," said Akihiko.

Strega. Mitsuru hadn't thought about them in years, but it appeared that she was the only one. The only survivors of the Kirijo Group's forced Potential experiments and the biggest source of Mitsuru's inherited guilt before Minazuki. She couldn't begin to imagine what it was like to be angry at the entire world AND possess a hidden power that left most of the world at your mercy for an hour. It must have seemed like a blessing in disguise. The fact that they were lied to by Ikutsuki as well couldn't have helped matters. She wouldn't make the same mistake with Minazuki. The Kirijo Group would not destroy another life if she could help it.

"Okay, so we find this kid-"

"No." Mitsuru interrupted Dojima before he could overstep his boundaries. "Minazuki is a Persona-user and unofficial ward of the Kirijo Group." She knew Akihiko was no doubt shocked behind her, but she'd made up her mind. "Therefore, he's the Shadow Operatives' responsibility. I've made this **very** clear to both the police and Public Safety."

"What happened to 'cooperating with the police in their jurisdiction'?"

Mitsuru smiled. "You are now aware of our next move," she answered. "I assure you, we won't be committing any crimes during our pursuit. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to retrieve my Evoker and sword, since time is of the essence. We'll inform you of any changes." She stood. "You should probably return to your work. I'm sure you have your hands full after losing two detectives, after all." Once again, Shirogane's hat covered her blushing face.

It wasn't until they'd left the building that Akihiko finally decided to ask, "What the hell was that about?"

In truth, she didn't know. Yesterday's events and the bad memories they had brought to the surface brought out a nurturing side she didn't even realize she had. Her past was indeed traumatic...but it wasn't hers alone. _Who holds Minazuki after a nightmare?_

Mitsuru sighed as they got on the motorcycle. "A robot had to remind me about the concept of humanity."

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"Lend me your ears" here refers to:  
-The crazy moving cat ears of course  
-Finally getting a chance to explain the past 4 games to Dojima  
-Caesar (I haven't made up my mind if I want to do that for every chapter he makes an appearance

The crazy cat ears actually do exist! They're on Amazon, but I believe they've been discontinued.  
Poor AkiDad hates being the fun parent :3


	8. Social Link GO!

Naoto had food for thought again for supper that night.

If summoning Personas in the real world was indeed possible, as Yu had demonstrated, what would it take for the others to learn as well? Nanako's brush with death hadn't seemed to work for Yukiko. Perhaps a personal catalyst was needed? Yet another thing to ask Mitsuru about.

Mitsuru was definitely hiding something. Naoto hadn't wanted to pry after the incident at Grampa's, but the interview with Dojima-san reaffirmed all her suspicions. The head of the Shadow Operatives more than likely had a theory about Nanako, but she wasn't sharing it until she'd collected enough evidence for herself – and it may indeed be related to her own recent struggles.

After a moment of consideration, Naoto turned on her computer and pulled up a few files on Mitsuru Kirijo. Public Safety had given her a few breadcrumbs related to their investigation, and a bit of digging had provided a few more interesting facts. Mitsuru was the youngest person on record to awaken to her Persona, just edging out their own Ken Amada. For a time, she was the Kirijo Group's only Persona-user until they found Akihiko and a companion of his, Shinjiro Aragaki. Shinjiro had been shot and killed by a Takaya Sakaki, the head of a rival group of Persona-users.

Wait. Where were these other people when Mitsuru was battling Shadows alone? Could they have been other "failed experiments" like Sho Minazuki?

Her doorbell rang. _Six pm already?_ was her first thought, and she was halfway to the door before she begun to mentally chastise herself. _Kanji is not the only person capable of visiting your apartment, Naoto. It may well indeed be someone else._ When had she become Rise, hearing a noise and jumping directly to the conclusion that it was a boy?

Her initial reaction turned out to be right, however, as a series of knocks followed. "C'mon! I know you're busy – just take the damn food and pretend you're gonna eat it while it's hot instead of nibbling at it cold tomorrow, and I'll go!"

Naoto sighed and opened the door. Had she really become that predictable?

Kanji stood, bento in position to be slid through a crack in the door. His resigned expression quickly changed into one of surprise, and then attempted Narukami-cool. "Hey...uh...how ya doin'?"

"It might surprise you to hear, Kanji-kun, that I have actually reached an impasse."

"Aw, damn! Wait...is that bad? You look kinda bummed – it's probably bad."

"I suppose a short break wouldn't hurt," chuckled Naoto. Vocabulary words may not have been Kanji's forte, but he **was** capable of reading moods, Naoto's especially. Somewhere along the line, that fact had charmed her.

Kanji immediately headed for her kitchen. "You figure out how to summon our Personas yet?" he called back.

"I'm afraid the solution still eludes me," Naoto replied. When Kanji stuck his head out, she reiterated, "No, I haven't."

Kanji shrugged. "Lemme get the only two plates you freakin' own, and I'll come back out there and you can bounce shit off my peanut-sized brain."

 _Again with the self-deprecation._ Naoto had come to believe that she and Yu were the only people in Japan with even a hint of confidence in Kanji's intelligence. "Must you always put yourself down, Kanji-kun?"

"What? I ain't the only person who thinks I'm stupid."

" **You are NOT stupid!** " Naoto blurted out, nearly causing Kanji to drop the plates he'd been badmouthing. "I'm sorry, I..." Something about that word had burrowed through her soul ever since she and Kanji befriended one another. It was singular and final, a snap judgment that discounted any other possibility and admitted defeat. _That Tatsumi punk was stupid, nothing to be done about it. The Detective Prince was a girl, and a girl cannot be like a boy. Simple as that. Cut and dry. Straight or gay. Smart or stupid._ "I just wish you wouldn't constantly devalue yourself."

"Nah, it's fine." Kanji said with a tone that indicated it was far from fine. He couldn't manage to look at her as he changed the subject. "Your food's getting cold. You gotta eat one hot meal a week, at least." They ate in awkwardly resigned silence until Kanji suddenly spoke up again. "S'like Personas."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You're smart," Kanji began, "I'm strong. That's the one thing we do that they keep us around for. Yu-senpai, he's both of those and more. S'why we only got one Persona, and he's got a shitload of 'em." He appeared to have been thinking deeply about this. "Yosuke-senpai, he's good at runnin' his mouth and runnin' circles around Shadows. Yukiko-senpai likes to make things better, but she'll burn your ass outta nowhere if you piss her off." A rare feeling of pride crept its way onto Kanji's face. "We each got somethin' we're good at. I don't mind bein' the big, dumb ox sometimes, 'cause somebody's gotta do it.

"Kanji..." Naoto was so shocked, she didn't realize she'd neglected the honorific. "That's...that's the smartest thing I've ever heard you say!" _How on Earth could anyone think you were stupid? You have the kind of wisdom at 16 that most men take years to find, or die without ever finding! I feel blessed just having known you._ A warm feeling was bubbling up from within her stomach, and it was not coming from Kanji's cooking. _Let them dare to call you stupid in front of me – I won't allow it!_ The charged air that Sukuna-Hikona brought forth shimmered in between them, and that's when she knew.

 _I vow to help you see your true self...the way_ I _see you._

Sukuna-Hikona burst forth from within Naoto, engulfed in a shining light. What emerged was different, yet Naoto felt an even deeper connection to this form than before. _**Yamato Takeru.**_ Her Persona had changed and gotten stronger, simply because of her resolution. It wasn't a total surprise; early reports on Mitsuru had shown her to have a completely different Persona than the one she was using now. Naoto had suspected that the catalyst was her father's death. This sudden burst of protectiveness for Kanji was apparently strong enough to change the power of Naoto's heart – and she wasn't sure she liked the implications.

"Whoa..."

Kanji's voice was enough to shock Naoto out of her stupor and she realized to her embarrassment that she'd been sitting in her living room with a vacant expression on her face this entire time. But Kanji wasn't staring at her as if she'd lost her mind. Rather, he was...equally entranced. "Did you just go to some weird place with your Persona, too?" he asked.

So Kanji had been affected as well. "I did. It's amazing, isn't it? Our Personas can grow and change just like we're capable of doing. But, if I may...what was it that prompted **your** resolution?"

She'd expected Kanji to struggle. He had always worried that words didn't come easily to him, especially in front of Naoto, whose vocabulary exceeded her social aptitude. Something had indeed changed in Kanji, however, as he spoke with a confidence she'd never witnessed before. "I saw the way you were looking at me," he began. "It's the way my parents used to look at me whenever I'd finished a project the way they taught me. Y'know, like they were proud of me. But it wasn't just that – it was like...they were happy that I was bein' me." He paused, and Naoto somehow instinctively knew that he was afraid of what his next words actually meant for the both of them. "Senpai taught me that bein' me wasn't a mistake, and when I'm me...you look at me like that. I like it. I wanna see you look at me like that more often." Just then, the full brunt of what he was saying hit him in the face, and he began loudly retracting. "I mean, if you wanna, you know? Shit! Uh...look, your food's gotten cold again! Let me go heat that up!"

Naoto watched him leave until he began to get blurry, and she realized it was because her eyes were tearing up. She **was** proud of Kanji – inordinately proud – and Kanji had picked up on it because he was so in tune with her feelings, even more so than Grampa. He had realized the way she saw him. He wanted her to be the reason he could be his true self.

It was a burden Naoto wasn't sure she was ready to take on.

* * *

Kanji and Naoto were not the only members of the Investigation Team to evolve their Personas. Yukiko was bubbling over with excitement the next day when the team met at headquarters, sharing with them how her perceived ineptitude at summoning had inspired her to learn how to heal people the traditional way, with her Persona evolving to reflect this. She responded to Chie's accusation that it was Yu she wanted to heal – intimately – by threatening to reenact scenarios from American sitcoms that she'd found on the Internet, featuring a friend "volunteering" to act as a medical dummy and being wrapped from head to toe in bandages.

"I'm sure it would really help me out, Chie," she was saying. "Of course, you'll need to remain perfectly still."

"Yeah...no," Chie replied.

Rise had been uncharacteristically quiet. Not even Chie's mention of their leader got the typical jealous reaction out of her. Naoto suspected she was still recovering from Mitsuru's psychic distress during her nightmare. She had gotten off easy; Fuuka was still sequestering herself, glued to her computer with its lack of emotions. Even Teddie needed a while to get back to his jovial self. Just how was Mitsuru herself still functioning?

Junes was oddly still as well. The lack of customer chatter meant the team could hear Yosuke verbally lashing Teddie about taking naps in the bedding department when he should be working. The stillness was eerily reminiscent of the fog-filled Inaba that Izanami nearly wiped off the map last year. It had Kanji on edge, and he would not stop fidgeting and drumming his fingers on the table. The new confidence from last night seemed to have vanished.

Teddie had escaped from Yosuke and was squeaking his way towards their group. "Rise-chan! Chie-chan! Yuki-chan! Nao-chan! Have you come to save me from my unBEARable loneliness?" He stopped flirting and looked over his shoulder. "Oh, Kanji's here, too," he said flatly.

"Wh-I ain't exactly happy to see you, either, ya dumb bear!" Kanji snapped. He quietly added, "Still never let me pet you..."

It was difficult to keep the team on track when their leader wasn't present. Upon returning to Inaba, Yu had decided to touch base with all the acquaintances he'd made while he was here – roughly 20 different people. He was currently attending a funeral for an elderly woman he met while fishing (Naoto would have found that story highly suspect if it came from anyone else).

Yosuke finally clocked out of his shift and brought word that Yu had left the funeral. He was on the hill overlooking the town and his usual lack of elaboration had Yosuke thinking he was in a dark mood. As the team headed off to meet him, Yosuke fell back to walk by Naoto. "What'd you guys tell Dojima-san?"

"As much as he was willing to hear," Naoto replied. "I'm concerned that he still doesn't fully understand, but at the very least, he knows that we are doing our best to protect Inaba." She sighed. "As for the Shadow Operatives...I'm afraid he still doesn't quite trust them."

"Can ya blame him?" Kanji had caught up to the pair and frowned at the look on Naoto's face. "I mean, Shadow Operatives show up, then Shadows show up...maybe he thinks they did it." _Another burst of insight from a supposedly stupid man._ Naoto had better theories, but the fact that Kanji was giving this some thought warmed her. "Then Mitsuru-san screams at his kid."

"Nanako-chan was sleepwalking again last night," said Yosuke, "Yu caught her, but she beat the hell out of him trying to get to the door. Kept saying someone was waiting for her."

"I can't shake the feeling that these events are connected somehow, but I haven't found the answer yet." Naoto ignored the memory of Mitsuru rising to her defense and focused instead on what she chose not to say to Dojima-san in the interrogation room. "I also suspect that Mitsuru-san knows more than she is letting on."

They reached the top of the hill, only to find Yu being approached by an older woman. "Oh...Yu-kun!" she cried. Another acquaintance? For once, Rise and Yukiko were in agreement as they stormed over to the pair, eyes hard and accusatory.

"Eri-san?" Yu had recognized the woman and was unable to ignore her distress. "Have you come to pay your respects as well?"

" **Yuuta is missing**!" Eri sobbed. This got Yu's undivided attention. "I heard some of the women at Junes talking about seeing you in town again – I was hoping he was with you, he had such respect for you when you played with him." Naoto vaguely remembered one of Yu's many jobs being that of an afternoon daycare worker, and he spoke of a troubled young boy and his stepmother. This must have been her.

"Calm down. When did you see him last?"

"I dropped him off at school today, but when I went to pick him up...they said he must have snuck out at nap time, and never came back!" Now Eri was wailing. "What do I do? His father is going to be home this weekend and he'll be so upset with me!" When she threw herself onto Yu's shoulder, both Chie and Naoto luckily had the same idea and held back their respective outraged friends.

Yu, for his part, seemed fairly uncomfortable as he tried to comfort her. "I'll find Yuuta-kun, I promise." He finally noticed the others. " **We'll** find Yuuta-kun."

Eri swung around and appeared to recognize the teens. "You...you were kidnapped last year, weren't you? And Yu-kun found all of you? Please, I'm begging you – **please find my Yuuta!"**

As the hysterical woman agreed to go pray for her stepson's safety at the shrine, Rise decided (to Yukiko's aggravation) to reestablish dominance. "Who was that, Senpai?" she asked through a terrifying smile.

Yu ignored her. "Guys, we've got trouble," he said, "I'm positive Yuuta-kun has been kidnapped. He wouldn't have run away, not now that he's accepted Eri-san as his mother."

"So the serial kidnappings have finally reached Inaba," Naoto observed.

"And we know how to deal with that!"

"But Sensei," said Teddie, "no one's been thrown into the TV. I've sniffed and sniffed, but I never smelled anyone.

"Partner, I know you wanna help people," said Yosuke, "but this is all real world stuff. We can't exactly use our Personas on some creepy pedophile." He had a good point. Normal people were just as capable of kidnapping children, and some even did so for twisted, "noble" reasons like Namatame had. They might have an advantage in number, but aside from Yu, they were without their Personas outside of the TV World, leaving only a few knives, swords, and Naoto's gun. The police would not be sympathetic to a bunch of teenagers using dangerous weapons on a potentially violent and unstable criminal, and Naoto would be under serious investigation if she operated outside of the police department.

But Yu was insistent. "There are shadows outside of the TV World," he began, "and they're luring people out of their homes. Nanako..." he shuddered, "Nanako says they've been calling her, telling her to join them."

"Yeah, but there's no Midnight Channel anymore," Chie pointed out. "Where are the victims going?"

"Time to find out!" There was no stopping Yu Narukami when his hero complex was triggered.

Naoto wished she had more to tell him. "From what little I've gathered, the police have no leads on any of the kidnappings. There have been no witnesses, and none of the victims have anything in common besides being young children. The incidents have been concentrated around-"

 _Dear god..._

 _why didn't I notice this before?_

 _It was so obvious!_

"Naoto?" Kanji stopped just short of prodding her out of her daze.

"-around Iwatodai!"

Yu's steely gray eyes hardened. "Where are the Shadow Operatives?"

* * *

ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

I decided to borrow a bit from P3 and have the characters evolve their own Personas through personal realizations rather than Social Links, thanks to the growth they've achieved from the Arena games. (Just showing Naoto and Kanji since they're my beta couple.)  
Also, I've apparently killed Death. ;-P

The chapter title comes from the infamous Hiimdaisy P4 Parody comic. It was discontinued years ago, but there are some animated versions on YouTube.


	9. Bête Noire

Inaba was just too damn small. Mitsuru thought for sure that leaving the limo behind would have endeared her just a soupçon to this frustratingly tiny time capsule of a bygone era...but no. The motorcycle was exponentially worse. The motorcycle in conjunction with two subtlety-impaired robots, Topless Akihiko, and what appeared to be the only fur coat in all of Japan aside from Koromaru's simply overloaded Inaba's oddity tolerance levels. And this was a town that housed Teddie! Faced with their impending alienation, the Shadow Operatives wisely relocated themselves to a place they couldn't possibly alarm the elderly and give the youth scandalous ideas. Now Mitsuru sans motorcycle stood on the hill overlooking the Samegawa, watching Akihiko train with Labrys by the water, and failing to realize how enraptured she had become until it was too late.

"You're drooling, Senpai." Yukari had snuck up on Mitsuru while she was oblivious to anything without muscles.

Mitsuru flinched violently and started to wipe her mouth with her arm, until she realized that would just be confirming the taunt. "I still owe you a slap, you know," she replied instead.

Yukari shrugged. "What's with you two lately, anyway?" She jerked her head towards the boxer.

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

"Senpai...you laughed at a pun. A pun that wasn't even very good! And don't think I didn't see you guys looking at each other, either."

Mitsuru tried not to think about what Yukari would say if she knew they'd spent a night snuggling each other BEFORE she'd even started having nightmares. She spun around to ask Yukari to mind her own business, but changed her mind at the downcast look on Yukari's face. Here was her best friend, showing her usual concern for Mitsuru's well-being, and Mitsuru was about to turn her away. It wasn't that she hated talking to Yukari – quite the contrary. It was just that talking about boys and relationships with Yukari would inevitably lead to the one subject Mitsuru wasn't sure she'd ever be ready to talk about. Namely, one Makoto Yuki.

When Yuki passed away, Mitsuru thought about reaching out to Yukari and confessing that she'd briefly dated the boy. She'd suspected that Yamagishi had been seeing him as well, and Chihiro Fushimi all but laid claim to him right in front of Mitsuru. After seeing Yukari's reaction to Aigis, however, it became clear that Yuki was a painfully sore subject. How do you tell your best friend that you dated her boyfriend, and that said boyfriend had been cheating on her with anything in a skirt?

Instead, Mitsuru sighed. "I don't know," she said softly. _I'm not lying to you, I'm just...stalling for time._ Her head still hurt from that horrific nightmare, both inside **and** out. Her heart would have to wait.

Akihiko stopped throwing punches to wipe sweat off his face and chest with a towel, and the failsafe between Mitsuru's brain and mouth malfunctioned. "I mean, could they have not given him a bigger uniform?!" she blurted out suddenly. Yukari giggled. "He crashes my party in a shirt so small, it could have come from Yamagishi'scloset! I was beginning to think I was at an entirely different sort of party."

"Oh my God!" Yukari mumbled through her hands, "You did not just say that, Senpai!"

"Not to mention more _**delightful**_ jokes about underwear! **WHY ARE ALL OF MY FRIENDS OBSESSED WITH MY UNDERWEAR?!** No wonder Shirogane-san thought we were dating-"

"Wait, what?"

Now Mitsuru was the one covering her face with her hands. "I'm an idiot." The only thing Yukari loved as much as shopping was matchmaking, and her favorite unwitting pawn was Mitsuru. She'd be delighted to find someone else with the same mindset.

"He's not the only one, you know," Yukari chuckled, "Even Labrys asked about you and Akihiko-senpai – and SHE'S only known you two for a week!"

Mitsuru threw up her hands. "Wh-do we have to wear signs? What exactly am I doing that's so obvious to everyone but Akihiko and myself?" Add **that** to the business card she would have to start handing out like candy before everyone took to judging her on sight: NOT DATING AKIHIKO SANADA.

"Well, perving out on your best male friend in a tight uniform and calling him a stripper certainly does the trick."

" **Yukari!** " Mitsuru wondered if there was a name for the exact shade of red she had turned. What if someone had been listening? Had Kikuno still been speaking to Mitsuru, she surely would have lectured her on such forbidden knowledge being incredibly unbecoming of a lady. Perhaps it was the only upside to being without her maid.

Thankfully, Mitsuru's bashfulness was undercut by someone else's. A rare Yamagishi had been spotted. "U-um, Mitsuru-senpai?"

Unbeknownst to the women, Akihiko was fending off both Labrys' attacks and Junpei's unsavory comments. "Will you shut up about Mitsuru already?" he griped as he ducked a wide swing and came back up with a well-timed uppercut. Labrys was using a plastic bat in lieu of her ax, to avoid any serious injuries, but she was still fairly dangerous.

"I'm just saying, you guys looked pretty comfy the other night," Junpei heckled. When Akihiko simply shook his head and continued his workout, he scoffed. "Akihiko-san, you must be the only guy in the world who could hold a half-naked girl in her bed and not let your imagination run wild."

Akihiko snorted. "Yeah, 'cause hysterical crying women with runny noses are just so hot." That wasn't fair to Mitsuru and he knew it, but Junpei was the last person he wanted to talk to about girls and dating. He didn't want to talk to **anyone** about girls and dating, because Mitsuru was a girl, and the idea of dating HER left him needing to lie down. Who said his imagination HADN'T conjured up scenarios that left him glad he was sleeping alone at the time? If word of that got out, Mitsuru would kill him, have Yukari resurrect him, and then kill him again. Repeatedly.

Labrys had put down the bat and began using her superior reflexes to block Akihiko's punches. "I think it's sweet! Mitsuru-san really trusts ya a lot. And ain't trust supposta be the first step to a relationship?"

"What do you know? You've only been out of your box for a week!" Akihiko found himself outnumbered by busybodies. He knew Junpei was mostly talking smack, but Labrys didn't know him well enough to give him hell about his history with Mitsuru. He knew someone else who did, though – and man, was she gonna get it.

"Picture it, though." Junpei was volunteering to be Akihiko's next punching bag. "It's late at night, no one else is around...you get a phone call: "Oh, Akihiko, would you come to my room? I'm rather frightened!"

"Okay, first of all, you need to pay more attention when Mitsuru yells at you, 'cause she does **not** sound like that," Akihiko's face couldn't decide if it was red from embarrassment or anger. He looked over his shoulder, but it seemed Ken and Koromaru were busy chasing each other and hadn't heard. "Secondly, if you don't keep your nose of my business, I'm gonna break it."

Junpei apparently wanted reconstructive surgery. "So you get there, and the lights are all out...there's Mitsuru-senpai, wearing some flimsy little-"

"THAT'S IT!" Even a plastic bat could hurt when someone with Akihiko's arm strength was wielding it. Junpei fled, and Akihiko was hot on his heels.

"AAH! I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryIitwasjustajoke! Don't kill me! Do something, Labryyyyyys!"

"Ah, don't worry, Junpei-kun – ya can't break someone's nose with a plastic bat!"

"HELLLLLLLLLLP!" Junpei ignored the stairway leading up the hill and was actually attempting to climb up the side barehanded. "MITSURU-SENPAAAAAAAIIIIIII!"

Fuuka had finally decided to brave the real world and leave her hotel room with Aigis in tow. Her search for more information on PROJECT_PUPPETMASTER had been fruitful...but the fruit was bitter. She dreaded having to report to Mitsuru, but Mitsuru needed to know what Fuuka had found, and the sooner the better. Just as she managed to reach her senpai, a loud screech cut through the afternoon air, causing her to yelp and take cover behind Aigis.

"HELLLLLLLLLLP! MITSURU-SENPAAAAAAAIIIIIII!" A disembodied hand appeared on the hillside, clawing at the ground.

This was just too much for Fuuka to take. She dropped her laptop and fainted.

Mitsuru looked at an unconscious Yamagishi, Aigis fully armed and looking for perceived threats, Iori launching himself over the hillside like a desperate man escaping a rhinoceros, and Akihiko with a plastic bat and blood lust in his eyes, and wondered if it was too late to sell her shares to Nanjo and get back on the plane to Yakushima. "I can't imagine why Inaba wants nothing to do with us," she deadpanned.

"I can explain," Akihiko began, "I don't really want to...but I can."

"Well, I certainly hope it was worth murdering Yamagishi over."

Iori and Akihiko looked at each other, and Akihiko quickly tossed the bat over his shoulder, ignoring the faint "Owww!" that sounded from somewhere down below.

"Stupei, you killed Fuuka with your dumb zombie joke!" scolded Yukari. "And just when she was about to tell Mitsuru-senpai something, too!"

"If I may interject," said Aigis, "I believe the late Fuuka-san was attempting to tell you that she had fully decoded the additional files from Ikutsuki-san's data." Everyone froze.

Amada and Koromaru came up to see what was going on, and Koromaru immediately leapt onto the prone Yamagishi, who chose that moment to miraculously resurrect herself. "NO! DON'T EAT ME!" she shrieked. "Oh...Ko-Koro-chan! Are you a zombie, too?"

Koromaru whined inquisitively. "He has no idea what'cha talkin' 'bout," Labrys translated.

"Sorry about that, Fuuka," Iori sheepishly admitted as he helped her up, "No zombies – just your average, everyday enraged senpai."

She seemed to accept that. "What did you do?"

"Why'd you automatically assume I did something? Sheesh!"

As Iori slunk off to sulk at a safe distance from Akihiko, more voices called to them.

"There they are! I smell a bevy of beautiful babes! Ugh...and some stinky guys, too!" Led by Teddie, the Investigation Team marched over the hill looking very determined.

"Even the daruma's on my case today!" groaned Junpei.

As they got closer, Naoto sensed that some kind of internal strife had been going on, and they may have interrupted at an awkward moment.

Yu took no notice of the situation as he zeroed in on Mitsuru. "The other night, when Nanako was hypnotized by Shadows," he said, "you knew what was going on, didn't you? That they were talking to her." He would have been highly intimidating had he been facing anyone else. "You've seen this happen before."

Mitsuru simply sighed. "Yes." Even the Shadow Operatives hadn't been expecting such a blunt answer.

"Where?"

Mitsuru looked away. "It's...not the easiest of stories to tell," she said quietly.

Akihiko instinctively moved towards her. "What are you getting at, Yu?" he demanded. Whatever Mitsuru knew, Akihiko seemed to know as well – though looking at the other Operatives indicated that he was the only one.

"The kidnappings," said Yu. "They've only been happening in cities that are home to Persona-users. And where there are Persona-users...there are Shadows. Shadows that have been luring kids out of their homes at night." He ignored Akihiko's warning glare and continued. "If you've seen this before, why didn't you say anything earlier? What are you even doing here?"

"That's enough!" Akihiko moved to intercept him, but stopped when Mitsuru began laughing ruefully.

"What **am** I doing here?" she scoffed, "I don't even know anymore. One minute I'm on display in a diamond-studded straitjacket, and then the next thing I know, I'm spirited away to a narrow-minded pastoral Purgatory that due to a misprint is pronounced 'Inaba'! Oh, but I sincerely apologize for not giving one specific incident regarding your extended family the undivided attention that it clearly deserves, while my livelihood and my family's entire legacy is in jeopardy! You may be a Wild Card, Narukami, but you are small potatoes compared to Public Safety and the convoluted cat's cradle from Hell that is the Kirijo Group." Her breathing grew ragged, and she began gripping her wrists again, subconsciously tugging at the cuffs of her suit. "Tell me, are your grandparents still living? No? Perhaps they've left you some useless antique or a painfully slow-maturing savings bond to remember them by? _**How**_ _**utterly charming.**_ Do you know what **my** grandfather left me, Narukami? An empire built on a wasteland of corpses that grows and rises until it threatens to swallow me whole! An empire of _**shadows**_." Now Yukari and then the rest of the Operatives gathered around their trembling commander. "I don't have the luxury of being anywhere else! I'm a Kirijo. These are my Shadows, and I'm sending them back where they came from because it's it's the only thing I know how to do!"

Her voice cracked and faded out as Akihiko came forward and put his hand on her arm. This rage was new and disconcerting. Akihiko definitely knew something – and he did not want Mitsuru talking about it.

Yu had gone silent. He was so used to leading the Investigation Team and being looked up to by all of his friends that gaining this perspective was a huge blow to his ego. Naoto found herself in the uncomfortable position of agreeing with both leaders. Her grandfather's own legacy preceded her whenever she introduced herself, and though she occasionally struggled to be worthy of it, the Shirogane name was virtuous, and she flourished in the light that it shone down on her. She couldn't imagine what a legacy of evil deeds felt like upon one's shoulders. Yet Mitsuru stood tall. Her determination to purify the family name seemed to power her every move...but that power had to come from somewhere.

"Is it possible," Naoto said gently, "that all of these events are connected somehow?" This didn't seem to supply Mitsuru with any more stress, or fuel Akihiko's anger, so she continued. "We've been discussing the leverage Public Safety has over us Persona-users. If their goal is to discredit the Kirijo Group in the eyes of the public, then orchestrating Shadow attacks out in the open and kidnapping children is certainly a good way to do it. Perhaps they are trying to force us to summon our Personas in full view of the public in order to save our families."

"Everybody look at the freaks," said Kanji. Naoto nodded.

Surprisingly, it was Yosuke who picked up the implications of Naoto's scenario. "I get it. Everyone loves having a scapegoat when things go wrong: 'Junes drove my store out of business!' 'Junes ruined my marriage!' As soon as they find out the Kirijo Group's responsible for the Shadows, people will want to see Mitsuru-san hanging from an antenna." His friends cringed. No one expected Yosuke of all people to be making jokes about last year's murders. "What? You don't think I got letters hoping that I'd be next?"

"Yosuke..." Chie clearly wanted to say something, but doubted this was the time.

"Um...some of that made sense," said Yukari. "But why would Public Safety want to take Mitsuru-senpai down so badly? Aren't we supposed to be working **with** them?

"The alliance is a joke, Yukari." Mitsuru spoke up at last. "Public Safety has never been comfortable with the fact that the Shadow Operatives don't answer directly to them." She chuckled again. "That **I** don't answer to them. They don't have a way to combat Shadows without Persona-users, so they're reliant on us, and it damages their fragile, middle-aged male egos." She looked directly at Naoto, knowing she could relate. "It was only recently that they thought they'd discovered a way to dispose of us."

"How?" Yu asked.

"More Persona-users." Aha. The **real** reason they'd hired Naoto. "Specifically, young, impressionable Persona-users fixated on justice. How would you have felt, a year ago, hearing that a corporation was using Shadows to manipulate time and space for its own personal gain?"

"We'd have wanted to take them down," answered Yu, "Nothing you said would have made any difference." If the P-1 Tournament was any indication, Persona-users at war with one another wouldn't have been pretty.

Kanji made yet another not-so-stupid observation. "But Naoto screwed all that up by blowin' them off and tellin' you what she was doin'."

"Precisely."

"And Minazuki?" Yu wasn't quite satisfied. "Where does he fit into all of this?"

"You're the one throwing Minazuki in my face – perhaps you should ask him!" Mitsuru had not completely calmed down yet, and Akihiko was still charging the air around them without realizing it.

"That bothers me as well," Naoto continued her thinking out loud. "Why would Minazuki go to all the trouble of orchestrating Yu-senpai's return to Inaba in the middle of a kidnapping spree at the same time Public Safety declares war on Mitsuru-san?" She hoped she was wrong, but the picture that was beginning to emerge from the static was fairly disturbing.

A few seconds passed while everyone reached the same conclusion, and Labrys was the first to react. "Sho-kun ain't workin' with those people! He can't be!"

"Labrys, you've been vaguely acquainted with the boy for a grand total of approximately two hours," Mitsuru seemed to have forgotten her declaration to Dojima-san the previous day. "What makes you so certain?"

"He doesn't trust anybody, remember?"

"But," Yu realized, "he is a Persona-user."

"And he hates Mitsuru," Akihiko added. "Dammit – it all fits."

Labrys was uneasy. "I ain't buyin' it! I wanna talk to Sho-kun first. Yu said he was comin' back **here** ," she emphasized, "Mitsuru-san doesn't live here. Why wouldn't he just go after her back in Iwatodai?"

Another beat, and Akihiko figured it out once again. "He did," he said, "the raid."

"Evidently, he was upset that I didn't invite him to my birthday party." said Mitsuru. "I'm sorry, Labrys, but the evidence all points to Minazuki being behind this."

Labrys would not let this go. "Why do you hate him so much?!" Mitsuru flinched. "Can't ya ever stop to think about how he feels? Do you have any idea what it's like to grow up in a lab, with needles stuck in ya-"

"LABRYS! DROP IT!" shouted Akihiko. As everyone watched on in shock, he began physically leading Mitsuru down the hill, grabbing her hand. "C'mon, let's go. Stop that; you're gonna rub the skin right off your wrists. Stop."

Mitsuru stared at him and then looked down at her hands, which she'd been wringing again. Her face crumbled, and she began running down the hill, with Akihiko trailing behind. The rest of the Operatives followed slowly, and the Investigation Team just collectively shrugged and went after them.

"I didn't mean to make her cry!" said Labrys.

"It wasn't entirely your fault, Labrys," Yukari reassured her, "Senpai's been screwed up ever since we met that old doctor of hers. Did you see her wrists? She only started doing that after we saw him. She's never said anything before about Shadows being able to talk to kids, either. This has all got something to do with her past – and she **never** talks about her past!"

"Akihiko-san knows, doesn't he?" Yu said before Naoto could voice her own opinion.

Yukari stopped at the base of the hill and sighed. "That's what worries me. The last time I tried to ask Mitsuru-senpai about the Kirijo Group," she explained, "she was about to say something before Akihiko-senpai stopped her. You don't just interrupt Mitsuru Kirijo and live to tell about it, either. But...she stopped. It's like he knew what she was about to say would upset her."

When everyone reached the bottom, they found Akihiko, Mitsuru, and another familiar face.

"Marie!" Yu had evidently forgotten to reconnect with the minor goddess as well.

"I can't believe I get to see you again!" Marie's face lit up as she ran to Yu's side. Then it immediately darkened as she pulled off her cap and smacked him with it. "You've been here for days! How come you never said 'Hi' to me? Stupidlongdistanceloverboywhonevercalls!" Then she blushed. "I missed you."

"Anybody else get a serious case of whiplash?" joked Junpei.

As usual, Yu knew just the right thing to say to calm Marie down. "Nanako says thank you for the sunny day."

"Oh...well, uh...yeah, she wanted sun for some plants. Except the one that she locked in a cupboard for some reason – that one didn't get any sun and it just withered away – likeagirlwhowaitsforherstupidmantocomeseeherandhejustforgets! Stupid! So, um...Little Sis said you were supposed to go to a...wed-ling? Ded-wing? It's hard to say."

"Yeah, I skipped the wedding because of Sho Minazuki. Have you seen him?"

"Oh, **him**. Yeah, why is my town full of crazy redheaded people all of a sudden?"

From behind her, Mitsuru piped up, "I'm sorry, _who's_ crazy now?"

Marie ignored her. "He keeps scaring away all the cats, so I made it rain on him until he left. I know how you love cats...anyway, I told him you weren't here! He said he'd go get you and you'd both be back. And now, here you are! So where's he?"

Labrys was looking anxious. "Um, Marie-san? How was Sho-kun when you talked to him? Did he say anything about anyone else?"

"Just angry stuff, I guess. Boy, is that guy angry. But I'm ready for him this time! I remembered you guys talked about how Scarface was in the hospital here, so I went to the hospital and talked to some doctor guy. He gave me this thing, said it would calm him down." She began rummaging through her handbag. "Well, actually, he said it would sud...'subdue' him, but that's the same thing, isn't it?"

She pulled out a palm-sized device that Naoto could have only described as a Geiger counter with a tuning fork sticking out of it. Mitsuru's eyes widened at the word "doctor", and she glared at the strange device as if it had insulted her mother, continuing to scratch at her wrists.

"What does it do?"

"Don't know. Haven't tried it." Marie put the device back in her bag and took a closer look at Labrys. "You're 'Scrap', right? He talked about a lot of people I didn't know – said he had a bone to pick with Ki-ri-jo and the Scrap. I didn't really care, but...you guys are Yu's friends. I guess I'll try not to let him kill you."

"Well, I for one, feel honored." quipped Mitsuru. She looked as if she wanted to say more, but Akihiko stopped her.

"C'mon, hon, let's just go." He placed a hand on the small of her back. Mitsuru gave him a look, but allowed him to escort her back into town.

The two groups they left behind immediately put their heads together, but for different reasons. Yukari had grabbed Fuuka, nearly strangling the smaller girl. "Did you hear that?" she shrieked.

"Mm-hmm!" Fuuka nodded gleefully, her cheeks flushed. "That pretty much confirms it."

"What are you two giggling about?" Junpei was predictably confused.

"He called her 'hon', and she didn't execute him!" Yukari was too excited to even give Junpei his traditional smack down. "They are TOTALLY dating! I mean, she _**says**_ they aren't, but c'mon – there's no way he could get away with that in public if they weren't dating!"

"I can't help but feel like that's a big conclusion to jump to from one pet name, Yukari-san," said Ken. Koromaru's ears perked up. "Oh, sorry boy – it's just an expression."

Koromaru barked his own opinion, looking excited. "He says that Mitsuru-san and Akihiko-san frequent each carry the other's scent on their person," interpreted Aigis. Yukari gasped so comically loud that she nearly scared Fuuka again.

"So, they're either dating, or they use the same deodorant," joked Junpei. "Why'd Akihiko-san get pissed at me, though?"

"Because you're Junpei," Yukari retorted. "Maybe she said she'd execute him for telling."

"But if they were datin'," asked Labrys, "why wouldn't they just say they were datin'?" She shook her head. "I can't figure you humans out for nothin'!"

Meanwhile, the Investigation Team had reached a more reasonable conclusion: "Do you think the doctor that Marie-chan talked to was the same one you met earlier?" asked Yukiko.

"Tsukuda-san?" Naoto tried to remember the unsettling doctor that had scared Mitsuru. "More than likely. He claimed to work for the Kirijo Group until he received word of a 'special project'. Yet he also claimed not to know what this project entailed."

"He did say something about "we had two" when he found out about Yukari-san," remembered Chie. "So...was the other one Sho-kun?"

"Excellent work, Chie-senpai! Yes, I think Tsukuda-san may know more about Sho-san than he has let on. We need to speak with him as soon as possible."

The revelation may have come too late, as the sound of yowling cats heralded the appearance of the man of the hour. "Well, what do we have here? Everyone I want to kill in one place? Is it my birthday?" Sho Minazuki leapt down from the rooftop he was perched on, scraping his blades against one another like a demented chef. "Oh wait – nobody knows when my birthday is, thanks to Kirijo!" He snarled at Mitsuru. "So maybe I'll just take yours after I slice you to ribbons – it'll be the icing on the cake! Get it! Ha ha! **C'mon**! These are quality puns I'm **present** ing to you! Though I guess they don't hold a **candle** to Dear Old Dad's, huh?" He couldn't help but laugh at his own horrible jokes.

Mitsuru, worn out from an entire week of stressful situations and unwanted blasts from the past, simply clenched her fists and tried to control her breathing. "Finished?" she snapped. Beside her, Akihiko was glaring hard enough to burn a hole into Sho's sneering face.

"Sho-kun, whaddya doin?" Labrys saw her chance. "We've been worried about ya. Are you safe? Ya gotta place to stay an' all?"

For the briefest of seconds, actual emotion registered on Sho's face. Labrys' affection had actually reached him. It faded just as quickly. "You never learn, do ya, Scrap?" The grin plastered on his face grew maniacal. "I don't wanna be best buddies with a toaster! Read my lips: I. Don't. Need. ANYONE!"

Marie had reached into her bag for her mystery device, but Yu grabbed her arm. "Wait," he whispered to her. This had the secondary effect of making Marie blush and silently celebrate the fact that Yu had been incredibly close to her.

"We're all here, Minazuki!" Yu called to Sho, "Just like you wanted. Do you really think you can take on all 17 of us at once?" He stepped forward.

"HA-HA-HA-HA! Oh, man...have you gotten stupider, Leader-kun?" laughed Sho. "I'm not gonna kill you **now**! I mean, I'm gonna kill ya," he paused to scratch the back of his neck with the hilt of his sword, "but you're not gonna see it coming. It could be today, tomorrow, next week...by the time I do show up, you'll be **dying** to fight me!" He cackled at the bewildered group of Persona-users. "I'm only here to keep you idiots busy while the Shadows go sightseeing!"

They had fallen for one of the oldest tricks in the book. No one was watching Junes, and the Shadows were pursuing the Sleepwalkers while everyone who could defeat them was preoccupied. Naoto could have kicked herself for being so unobservant!

Yu was equally pissed off. "Marie!" he yelled, "Do it now!"

Marie pulled out her device, dramatically pressed the biggest button, and...the device buzzed. It made a low-pitched droning noise, with the occasional clicking sounds. In spite of how anticlimactic it was, it was actually working. Sho grabbed his head and screamed, falling to his knees.

And so did Mitsuru.

* * *

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Okay, my personal headcanon is that everyone DATED MC3, but the only people who MC3 "maxed out" Social Links with are: Yukari, Aigis (makes The Answer canon) and Elizabeth (makes Arena/Ultimax canon). Aigis...may not really count since she's a robot. Yukari and Aigis have come to terms with one another, but neither know about Elizabeth. The other female Social Links have moved on from MC3 and either fell out of love with him or weren't really in love to begin with. I can't help but wonder if any of them actually caught on that he was dating anyone he could get his hands on, and whether knowing about Social Links would make them feel better or worse about it. Yu would understand...but then he would have some explaining of his own to do.


	10. Hell is for Children

The title is from a Pat Benetar song - I just thought it was appropriate since both Mitsuru and Sho were kids when they went through hell at the hands of the scientists.

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* * *

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH...!"

Chaos. By the time they had begun celebrating Sho's collapse, Mitsuru had gone down the same way.

"Senpai?"

"No, Senpai!"

"MITSURU! Oh, shit...Mitsuru, what's wrong?" Akihiko immediately fell to his knees, trying to comfort a shrieking Mitsuru who appeared not to hear him.

"STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP!" she screamed. " **MAKE IT STOOOOP**!"

Fuuka was sobbing and shaking. Rise was sobbing and shaking. Teddie wailed and started running around in circles, with Koromaru running with him, yowling at the noise.

Yu just stood in place gaping, the situation slipping completely out of his hands. "What the-?"

Akihiko rounded on him. " **What the hell did you do?** " he growled.

"I didn't do anything!" Yu could only hold his ears as the cacophony got even louder. "It was supposed to work on Sho...because of the experiments!"

" **You IDIOT, MITSURU was an experiment!** "

"What?"

Everyone who wasn't screaming gasped. "Oh, my god...!" Tears streamed down Yukari's face as she began connecting the dots.

"M-Mitsuru-san – she got her Persona in a lab, too?" Labrys would have gone pale if she had been human.

Akihiko had lost all semblance of patience and could only communicate with rage. " **Why the fuck do you think she didn't want to talk about it, huh? What did I fucking tell you? I told you to drop it! I told you to stop pushing her to talk about it! But no, you just** _ **had**_ **to push it, didn't you? Now look at her!"**

"I-I didn't know, I..."

"Why didn't anyone say anything earlier?" Yu asked. After a beat, he realized something else. "Where was this information WHEN WE FIRST MET MINAZUKI?"

Mitsuru had fallen to the ground sobbing, curled up in the fetal position. She was wailing something completely unintelligible and ice crystals were beginning to form at the ends of her hair. Naoto didn't dare get close when Akihiko was hovering over her like a rabid wolf, but she could see that Mitsuru had scratched bloody furrows into both her wrists.

"The bleeding!" she managed to choke out. "Stop the bleeding!"

Yukari jumped forward, fumbling with her Evoker. Akihiko had to grab Mitsuru's hands and separate them in order to keep her from doing more damage, and the agonized wail of pain she let out nearly made the others vomit.

"WAAAAAH!" Teddie had reached the end of his tolerance and ran off sobbing into the night.

"Teddie!" Yosuke had no choice but to run after him. Chie followed shortly behind. This left Yukiko and Kanji to buffer Rise, who was crying so hard, her mascara ran down her face in black streaks, giving her the appearance of a melancholy zebra.

Koromaru had started howling at the top of his lungs. "Koromaru, stop!" Ken tried to hush his friend. "Calm down, boy-OW! He...he bit me!" All the screaming was driving the dog to madness, and he quickly ran away and hid under a bench. Junpei looked very uncomfortable with Fuuka sobbing into his shirt, and he watched Mitsuru with dawning horror on his face.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO...! NOOOOOOOOOOO, NOOOO!"

Akihiko wasn't having any luck consoling Mitsuru, who was gripping her head and crying like a baby. He was near tears himself. "Shh-shh-shh. Mitsuru, hey. You're all right, you're not in the hospital anymore. They're not-they're not hurting you anymore!" She didn't appear to know where she was or who was speaking to her. "Come on, open your eyes. Look, look, you wanna hear something funny? I found those stupid cat ears the kids stuck on me – I could put them on, you want me to put them on? Huh? Or, hey, we'll put them on Aigis – robot cat girl! No? How 'bout this – how 'bout we put 'em on Koromaru and he'll start chasing himself around? Wouldn't that be funny? Would you like that? _God, Mitsuru, please stop crying!_ " Regardless of who was watching, he cradled Mitsuru like a baby, rocking her and stroking her hair so she'd stop trying to pull it all off of her head.

Marie had been watching Sho with the device droning away when she finally realized why someone else was screaming. "Wow. That's unexpected."

It took Akihiko all of two seconds to zero in on the device in Marie's hand. " **Give me that!"** He snatched it and used a Zio spell to fry its circuits, in the same manner that he had blown the security camera at the station. With the droning noise gone, Mitsuru finally stopped screaming, and went limp. Akihiko flung the broken device off in the direction of the river.

Fuuka recovered enough to run to her senpai, and the Shadow Operatives closed ranks. For a terrifying second, Naoto was certain Mitsuru was dead, but Akihiko had found her pulse, and Aigis stared intently at her for a few seconds before confirming that she was just unconscious.

With Rise wiping her tears on his shirt, Yu cleared his throat. "What the hell just happened?"

"Super Shirtless just broke my Wubb-wubb-wubb Machine," Marie replied. She looked up. "Hey, where'd that boy go?"

"Sho-kun!" Labrys scanned the area, but found no trace of the other lab victim.

"How the hell'd he get away so fast?" asked Kanji.

"We gotta go look for him!"

"NO," Akihiko stood up with Mitsuru in his arms. "We're leaving! I've had enough of this shit. Come on!"

"But we can't just leave him!" cried Labrys.

"That's an order, Labrys! GO."

Junpei had been fiddling with the cross he wore around his neck, but his head shot up. "Whoa, whoa! Wait a sec – you're ordering us around now? Didn't you quit being a Shadow Operative?"

"Aren't you backup members?"

"Yeah?"

"Then **back up**." Akihiko wrapped his cape around Mitsuru and bridal-carried her off, not waiting to see if the others would follow him.

"But what about Sho-kun?" Labrys hadn't moved from her spot. "He could be passed out somewhere, too!"

"Where the hell do your allegiances lie, Labrys?"

"Where do **yours**?" Labrys shouted back, and everyone gasped. "Are you thinkin' about the Shadow Operatives...or your girlfriend?"

"Sister!" Aigis chided.

Labrys' synthetic hair was realistic enough to stand straight on edge as a jolt of electricity passed through her. If she had been human, it would have been the end of her. Akihiko didn't even look back to see if she was all right as he began calling for Mitsuru's limousine.

"Senpai, you can't just-"

"AIGIS!" Akihiko shouted, sounding so much like Mitsuru it was as if she'd possessed him, "PROTOCOL!"

Aigis replied on cue. "In an emergency situation, control of the current mission passes to the Operative with the lowest serial number. Akihiko-san, you are Shadow Operative Number Two..." Aigis' voice trailed off as the Shadow Operatives moved out of earshot.

"Akihiko-san!" Yu called after him, but to no avail.

"We appear to have been mistaken about a good many things," Naoto began, more for herself than anyone else listening.

Kanji picked up on her musing and added, "So the other one the doc was talking about was Mitsuru-san."

"She was just a little kid," Rise struggled to say. " Senpai, I saw things. Horrible things, I...I don't ever want to feel like that again!"

They were all waiting on Yu's command, and the stress of being leader was starting to show on his face. Who was to assume control of the Investigation Team when **their** leader was unable to continue?

"Yu-kun?" Yukiko nudged him.

Yu ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "See if you can get Chie on the phone," he told her. "We're going to need Teddie for this."

* * *

 _Father?_

Mitsuru was warm, and she didn't hurt anymore.

Father always carried her home from the experiments since she was so tired. They took so much out of the small girl and just when she thought it would never end, her father's voice reached her, and he would scoop her up and make them stop putting things in her head. And she would snuggle deep in his arms and know that she was safe again. No more hospital smell. She felt loved.

 _No...Father is gone. But...?_

It took a great while to recover from the psychic trauma. Often, Mitsuru would feel disassociated from her physical body on and off until the following day. She didn't know where she was, just that she was moving. Slowly, she began to regain a sense of her limbs, trying to reach for a collar that wasn't there. The sensation of being held and his familiar scent were reassuring as he readjusted her, but his heartbeat was too erratic, and his touch was fleeting and restrained, almost hesitant. And then...his chest fluttered.

 _Akihiko._

It was easier for Akihiko to ignore all the complaints coming from the rest of his friends than admit that he'd been wrong. But what was he most wrong about? He hadn't stopped Mitsuru from taking on too much of her asshole grandfather's sins. He couldn't find the time or the balls to tell Yu and the Inaba kids just why he was worried for her.

Most importantly...he was too ashamed to tell Labrys that she was 100% right.

There were very few things in his life that hadn't come from Mitsuru. Had she not approached him that fateful afternoon, he'd probably still be scraping by, wishing he had more power but feeling hopeless as to where to find it. Through SEES, he had found a new sense of self, a purpose, and a strength he didn't know he had. Mitsuru had faith in him and his abilities. She encouraged him to pursue his dreams, and she made them possible. When he brought up the idea of traveling the world instead of going to college, she didn't shoot him down. She simply asked him where he wanted to go, and a few days later, emailed him flight information. And when he told her he wanted to quit the Shadow Operatives and join the police force, she supported him in that, too. Yukari had accused him once, ages ago, of only valuing the chance to fight. He did...but he valued Mitsuru more. It was Mitsuru who made the fight possible – both then and now.

Mitsuru sat on his lap in the limo, weighing next to nothing aside from her catsuit. Her entire wrist fit between his thumb and forefinger with room to spare. Had she always been this tiny? She was clinging to his cape in her sleep, trembling but unable or unwilling to wake. It was killing him.

Akihiko could count on one hand the times he'd seen Mitsuru Kirijo cry. Mitsuru was tough as nails, and she could kick **his** ass. She was not a whiner, and rarely ran from a fight. Seeing her on the ground tonight hysterical with pain brought out every overprotective instinct he thought he'd squelched down years ago, and he wanted to punch someone's face in. He couldn't be helpless this time. He had to save someone. He had to save _**her**_.

"Senpai." Yukari's voice brought him out of his brooding. "How long have you known?"

"Since the beginning," he began. His throat hurt from all that guttural growling, but he couldn't stay silent any longer. "She didn't want to talk about it then, either." He forced himself to stop watching Mitsuru breathe and looked up at them. "You know how hard it is to summon a Persona. It's even harder to force yourself to summon so you can tag along with your idiot little brother/friend. Mitsuru, she made it look so natural that we felt stupid next to her. Shinji and me just thought she'd been born into it. She'd make us practice with the Evokers, take out one Shadow at a time, just offense, just defense – it was like going to school twice. One night, Shinji finally snapped and told her we weren't 'lab rats in her experiment'." He shuddered. "She just...broke. We'd never seen her cry before. No, this wasn't an experiment – 'experiments' involved having your brain jacked into while machines blew your eardrums out until you either summoned a Persona or shit yourself."

"D'you think," Junpei spoke so faintly it was hard to hear him at first, "d'you think that's what...everyone went through?"

Akihiko wished he could tell him for certain that Chidori didn't suffer as well. He suspected the procedure was the same for all of them. Whatever she and the other members of Strega had done to them was more than likely tested on Mitsuru first – and it had killed 97 other people.

Mitsuru gasped and twitched herself awake, looking lost and dazed. Akihiko brushed the hair out of her eyes and found tears there. "Hey, you still with us?" He wasn't sure if she recognized him; her eyes were slow to focus, and she moved as if she'd just became human. In the end, she just gave up and put her head back down on his shoulder.

Koromaru was softly licking Ken's hand, his tail between his legs and a guilty expression on his face. When Mitsuru sniffled, he nosed her leg and gave a whimpering whine. "Won't you tell us what happened?" Ken asked for him.

Mitsuru tried to speak, but nothing came out at first. What followed may have been broken French. _Jeez, her brain's been fried!_ She just looked up at him, eyes pleading with him to understand. Akihiko could only rub her back and try to will his strength into her. _Please don't let this be permanent._

"I think it's in those files," Fuuka said, "I'm sorry it took me so long, but I finally decoded the last of Ikutsuki-san's files, and...well...there was a folder with your name on it, Mitsuru-senpai." She reached into the bag by her feet and pulled out a disc. "They appeared to be video files...I converted them to DVD."

"Was he THERE?!" Yukari shouted suddenly, making everyone in the car jump. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Senpai! I just remembered – that memory we saw, when Mitsuru-senpai first summoned her Persona."

That Abyss of Time shit was disturbing. Seeing their own memories in front of their eyes like that, as if someone had recorded them...Akihiko was just grateful that he didn't have to relive the orphanage fire over again.

Yukari continued. "There was that one scientist that was really excited, like he hadn't just seen one of his friends turn into a Shadow right in front of him. Was that...was it Ikutsuki?" Now they were all thinking back on that moment, trying to remember the man.

Mitsuru nodded.

So Akihiko had assumed correctly. "Well, he had to learn how to operate on Minazuki somewhere."

They had reached the hotel. "What are we going to do, Senpai?" Fuuka asked.

Akihiko sighed. _First the Public Safety bullshit, and now this._ "I've gotta talk to Kurosawa. Public Safety's gonna love this. Someone...someone figure out where Labrys went. I don't really want to talk to her right now." Mitsuru was staring at him, but he did his best to ignore it. "We've got to get the hell out of Inaba until we know what we're doing." Tactical retreat was not Akihiko's forte, but it seemed like something Mitsuru would do. They needed to think, and he needed to cool off.

Mitsuru, lacking the linguistic power, seemed to approve as he set her down to climb out of the limo. When he picked her back up, she managed to reach out and touch his face. The hint of a smile confirmed it. By the time they made it to Mitsuru's room, Mitsuru had recovered enough to wrap her arms around Akihiko's neck to steady herself in his arms. It did not make it easier for Akihiko to concentrate.

The door opened by itself. Kikuno stood in the entryway, eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Lady Mitsuru!" When she saw Akihiko carrying Mitsuru, she immediately blushed. "Forgive me for interrupting!"

"Kikuno?" Mitsuru managed to say.

The implication went unaddressed for once as Akihiko still had quite a bit of anger in him. "Oh, funny meeting you here - where the hell have **you** been?"

"I'm so sorry, Milady!" Kikuno sobbed. "I had to see for myself...if it was true. Your father insisted that all of Kouetsu-sama's henchmen were gone. I never had any reason to doubt him!" She did her best to recover. "Aigis-san let me in. She said that Fuuka-san had found something Ikutsuki-san left for you." Finally, Kikuno noticed that Mitsuru was pale and listless. "Milady?"

"Yeah, that's great. You can grovel later. Help me with her, will you?" Akihiko got about two feet into the en suite bathroom and stalled. "I'm...gonna let Yukari know you're all right. I'll just be out here."

Mitsuru was swaying, but determined to stand. "Yes." she said. It was the second most disturbing thing he'd seen all night; the near-muteness of a woman who could bring a man to his knees with a few well-chosen words.

Akihiko's phone was going off every few seconds as Yukari grew more and more impatient with the lack of news – in the five damn minutes they'd been apart.

What's going on?

Is Senpai awake?

Did you find Kikuno-san? Aigis said she'd be there.

So, are we going back home now, or...?

Tell Senpai I'm SORRY! :(

 _God, this girl._ Akihiko kept having to erase and retype his text with each new hyperactive message.

She's FINE. Kikuno's helping her change now. No, I'm not looking, don't even go there – yes, you WERE, Yukari, jeez, is that what you really think of me? We'll probably leave tomorrow if Mitsuru's okay with that. I'm not letting her worry about anything tonight.

Akihiko allowed himself to collapse on the couch, and massage the bridge of his nose. He could hear water running and – thank god – coherent Japanese from Mitsuru. Hopefully, one night would be enough to get her back to normal. Then she'd chew him out for being an asshole – not that he would blame her.

The rest of the messages were from Naoto. Akihiko figured Yu was just as upset and static charged as he still was, and the detective was the cooler head. He was surprised to find messages that read the exact opposite, though.

APOLOGIES FROM I.T. HOPE MITSURU-SAN IS WELL.

WOULD STILL LIKE TO RECONVENE ASAP RE: MINAZUKI. WILL ACT AS TEAM LIAISON.

 _It's a text message, not a telegram!_ Sensing a wall of text would just be unnecessary, Akihiko was terse in turn.

I'm working on it.

Labrys?

It took a while for Naoto's next message to arrive; the water turned off in the bathroom and soft crying could be heard.

LABRYS AMAGI INN ATM. SAFE.

Well, **that** was somewhat reassuring.

MEETUP Y/N?

She was certainly tenacious.

If a car shows up on Sunday, get in. If not...well, we'll have to figure it out from there.

* * *

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Yes, where WAS this information in the canon games, Atlus?

Evidently, this is only available in Japanese supplementary material, but Mitsuru was experimented on by her grandfather. There's that one so-brief-you-might-miss-it mention on the P3 side of Persona Q, where Mitsuru admits she was given her abilities, but of course, none of the characters remember that. When Jin reveals that Strega were test subjects, too, there's no mention of it (Mitsuru looks upset, but that could easily be written off as Kirijo guilt). When Sho is introduced, and everyone is discussing his life, there's no mention of it. I assume that (aside from implanting a Plume of Dusk) the Potential process is the same for all of the subjects.

Fans have suspected that the one scientist in Mitsuru's memory who's more excited than scared is Ikutsuki, even though he's not named. It would fit with his character. Other than him and Yukari's dad, I'm only using OCs since I don't know anything about the other named Kirijo scientists.


	11. Coronation Pt 1

The crowning of an empress.

Incoming headcanons!

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* * *

DRIVE (D:) PUPPETMASTER Kirijo_Mitsuru

Video_files

1996-08-15

She couldn't click the link.

Mitsuru sat alone in the Kirijo mansion, Yamagishi's disc in her laptop and a familiar fear in her heart. These skeletons could not have launched themselves out of her closet at a worse possible time. Why must everything happen in threes?

The Shadow Operatives had returned to Iwatodai to find that Public Safety had been staking out not only the mansion, but the homes and workplaces of all of the known members. They pulled reams of information on her friends, from income tax documents to school transcripts to Koromaru's immunization records. The Kirijo Group was working around the clock to intercept them. Having Kikuno assist her once again was helpful, but having Akihiko around was a godsend. He had assumed control of the Shadow Operatives in her stead and mitigated the already monumental damage she'd been causing with these public meltdowns. At this very moment, he was meeting with Kurosawa to set their plans in motion to protect the others. Mitsuru wasn't sure if she could possibly be prouder of him.

At home, Mitsuru had hours of messages from the disastrous party's guests, the media, even the #1 inflated idiot Kei Nanjo himself. A few were sympathetic, but most were backing out on assorted deals and contracts. Still, she'd rather be dealing with corporate fallout than reliving the most traumatizing chapter of her life. She'd recognized the date immediately. August 15th was the first day of her grandfather's experiments. As if that wasn't enough, on top of all of this personal and professional hell, she was still reeling from another night of sharing a bed with Akihiko.

Mitsuru wasn't sure when her relationship with Akihiko changed. He was the first person she could ever really call her friend, and that would always mean something, but it wasn't until her senior year of high school that she'd wondered if they were perhaps closer than friends. Shinjiro had always teased Akihiko about having feelings for her. Had he? She'd never really thought about him that way at all until that fateful July full moon mission.

Shirakawa Boulevard. Mitsuru wouldn't have been caught dead anywhere near there if it wasn't for a major arcana Shadow. Finding herself embracing Akihiko while wearing only a towel wasn't something she'd ever imagine, either. But it had been just as enticing then as it was now; feeling him close to her, relishing in his touch and his scent. They'd been so close to kissing that his face was burned into her memory for months afterward. What would it have been like, kissing Akihiko? The idea refused to leave her. She may have left the hotel with her virginity intact, but Akihiko had certainly taken her naiveté.

How bitterly ironic that Akihiko began to pull away from her just as she'd finally begun to open up to him. They had less time to talk after school once SEES expanded and Tartarus proved to be even more daunting than before. Shinjiro returned, and with him, their checkered past reared its ugly head. Then Shinjiro died, and Mitsuru was incapable of connecting with Akihiko when he more than likely needed it the most. And then Father... After that, Mitsuru had closed herself off from everyone that could possibly leave her until one day, one boy took the first step to getting her to open up to him. But it wasn't Akihiko. It was Yuki.

Strange how he had returned to being "Yuki" in her mind after just a brief period of being "Makoto". She hadn't planned on dating him – she could have sworn he was dating Fushimi – but his persistence won her over, and his quiet charm was reassuring while Mitsuru's mind struggled to make sense of the adult world she'd reluctantly begun to enter. Being with Yuki had been nice, easy. Safe. She found herself smiling at random times of the day, just thinking about him. This was her very first boyfriend, after all, and she enjoyed the feeling of being loved. She wanted to do all the things she'd seen other couples do when they were together: hold hands, feed each other, ride her motorcycle together, sneak chaste little kisses when they thought no one was looking. Her feelings for Yuki were gentle and sweet.

Her feelings for Akihiko were anything but.

It had taken several hours for Mitsuru to regain the ability to speak and act independently. She'd woken up several times during the night disoriented and screaming. Akihiko had refused to leave her side, powerful warm hands massaging her back and shoulders, soothing her. Whenever her psyche threatened to trap her in a state of shock, he brought her back to reality in the most comforting, physical way possible. He was real. Solid. Much more tangible than the ghosts Mitsuru usually went to bed with. She could feel the muscles in his back and arms working to hold her, the texture of his skin and the faint, fuzzy beginnings of a beard that he hadn't found the time to shave off, rubbing against her face. She could smell him, hear his voice saying her name. Father was gone, but Mitsuru wasn't alone. She had Akihiko.

And she wanted him back. That was what confused her.

Whenever she was with Akihiko, she was unable to concentrate on anything except the rising and falling of his chest and the way the light reflected off his scars. Putting on her coat reminded her of the inappropriate jokes about weaving it out of his chest hair, and how hard she had laughed at the thought. Akihiko didn't have any hair to speak of on his chest; he was smooth and chiseled, and he rippled at the slightest touch-STOP THINKING ABOUT TOUCHING AKIHIKO'S CHEST! He **worked** for her, for crying out loud! He was her friend, her comrade. He trusted her. And she trusted him enough to let him pick her up and carry her to her hotel room...where he spent the night sleeping in her bed, holding her, gently stroking her hair. He liked her hair, she could tell. He watched her brush it with the same enamored intensity that she exhibited watching him breathe. And when it fell in front of her face and he brushed it out of the way, his eyes lit up as his fingers sunk into it. When she'd finally managed to express herself coherently, he was happier than she was, with his adorable little asymmetrical smirk...

Oh, dear god.

WHEN THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?

She had dated Yuki for two months, and not once did she ever fantasize about stroking his chest. They had kissed once, briefly, and it was nice, but it hadn't made her want to pursue things any further. Simply holding Akihiko had her dreaming about kissing his lips, cheeks, neck, chest, scars...and anything else he would let her kiss. She wanted to tickle that silvery peach fuzz on his chin with her fingers, her nose...feel it rubbing against her neck, her shoulders...

A sudden heat came over Mitsuru's face as she gasped, realizing her eyes had been closed and she'd been swaying back and forth at her desk. No one else was in the room with her, but she still felt as if a thousand eyes were upon her. Why did this have to happen now? She didn't have time for a sexual awakening – there was work to be done! She was a businesswoman with a multi-million dollar corporation facing legal trouble, and the leader of a black ops task force who were deep into investigating a Level 3 Shadow alert. Hormones had no place here. No, she was stronger than this.

Slapping her laptop closed with more force than was probably necessary, Mitsuru punched the button on the nearest intercom and, in her best Empress voice, shouted, "Kikuno! Get Shirogane on the phone."

* * *

Naoto had no idea what to expect when Mitsuru called her claiming they needed to talk. She knew Akihiko had promised to keep the lines of communication open, but having the leader of the Shadow Operatives pick her up from school that afternoon – on the motorcycle – and bring her over to the floodplains felt more like friends hanging out than a business meeting.

"I'll be brief; I don't want to keep you from your studies for long," Mitsuru said as they claimed the picnic table. She looked tired and drained, all of her previous composure missing. "I need your assistance in locating several individuals."

Naoto would have jumped at the chance to work for a high-profile client like Mitsuru Kirijo if she didn't already know this was going to be painful. "Someone connected to your past?"

Mitsuru took a deep breath, willing the words to come out. "Do you-" The first attempt failed. She shook her head as if to clear some errant thoughts away. "You were at the hospital that night..."

"Tsukuda-san mentioned that there were other scientists who also managed to avoid the accident," Naoto finished for her.

"Find them. I need to know who they are, **where** they are, and what they know about these Shadows." She did her best to avoid Naoto's eyes. "I should warn you, however; it won't be easy. Someone deep within the Kirijo Group has been sitting on this information for 13 years."

Sleuth Mode engaged. "Perhaps the files Fuuka-san decrypted might contain something?"

"I'm about to find out." Mitsuru rose from the bench as if to leave, and then suddenly stopped. "No," she realized, "Wait. I can't make the same mistake again."

"Mitsuru-san?"

"I suppose it is time for me to explain everything – and since I might barely make it through the first time, I'll need to tell everyone all at once." Naoto remained puzzled as she continued. "How do you think the others would feel about another class trip to Iwatodai?"

Naoto's head was full of contradicting theories and wild tangents as she shakily made her way to her small apartment. She'd really expected someone as grounded as Mitsuru to drive cautiously. Well, every person had their vices. She was so deep into her own head that she nearly tripped over a pair of gangly legs.

"Ow!" the legs' owner shouted.

"Oh, Kanji-kun! My apologies!" Kanji had been sitting by Naoto's door waiting for her to arrive. "I'm sorry that I left school so suddenly. Did you need my help with something?"

"Forget about school!" Kanji stood up, revealing the folding chair he usually carried around with him in the TV world. This didn't bode well. "Our senpai figured out where Teddie ran off to."

"Ah. Has he gone into the TV?"

"Yeah...but he ain't alone." Kanji cracked his knuckles and grinned in spite of the dire news. "Shit's going down again. You in?"

The sight that greeted Labrys and the Investigation Team was a disjointed mess. They'd initially entered onto a playground, but turned a corner and ended up at a circus instead. A few feet away, they found themselves attending a birthday party.

"Why are there so many different places here?" asked Labrys. "There's no rhyme or reason to it."

Chie shuddered. "It's like the TV World's gone mental, and can't decide what it wants to be."

"I think Teddie's over in that direction," Rise said as she scanned the area. "Something's off, though...I can't sense anyone else at all."

The backgrounds kept changing as they walked on. A New Year's party, a summer festival, even a toy store. Two floors up, however, the scene became eerily familiar. Flowers lined the path as they walked underneath a rainbow and through a shining gate.

"This is-!" Rise covered her mouth in shock.

"No! Nanako was safe at home when I left!" Yu lost the remainder of his cool and began running through Heaven, knocking Shadows to and fro with his sword and trying to catch sight of his little cousin.

A red-and-blue blur came out of nowhere and knocked him over. "WAAAAAAIIIIIT! Nana-chan's not here, Sensei! Nobody is!"

"Teddie!"

"Where the hell have you been, you stupid bear? We've been looking for you for hours!"

"What do you mean, 'nobody is here'?" Yu stood back up and stared down the bear suit.

"The Shadows are going bear-serk trying to find all the boys and girls thinking of these places!" Teddie explained. "They keep calling to them to come and play, but no one's showed up!"

"So the TV World is trying to be the dungeons of all the kidnapped kids," Yosuke realized.

Yu couldn't stop staring at the representation of where he'd almost lost Nanako. "And they're bribing them."

"Didn't Mitsuru-san say she'd seen this before?" Yukiko remembered.

"Mitsuru-san has offered to transport us to Iwatodai tomorrow for a Shadow Operative briefing," replied Naoto, "Perhaps this would be an appropriate time to try asking her again,"

* * *

Akihiko watched with bemusement as another group of high-schoolers floated into a Kirijo mansion in awe. It reminded him of their own second years setting foot in Yakushima for the first time. "Rich" is just an abstract word until you see for yourself just how much money Mitsuru actually has. He may have enjoyed casually accepting a protein shake from a maid and flopping down on a sofa in front of them a bit more than was actually necessary.

"Holy crap!"

"This place is bigger than Junes!"

"Silk tablecloths? Do you know how much that shit costs per yard? Ahem! I mean-whoa, pretty swanky digs."

Only Labrys and Naoto were visibly calm – although Akihiko suspected the detective was just better at professionally hiding her reactions. Labrys was too busy avoiding him.

The Investigation Team integrated themselves with the Shadow Operatives as Mitsuru finally came in. Akihiko found himself in a holding pattern as he got up to support her, but thought better of it. Mitsuru needed to reaffirm for herself that she could hold her own again without leaning on him.

Mitsuru sat down on the sofa an arm's length from Akihiko. "Thank you for coming," she began, "I'm not certain that I have the answers to all of your questions, but I'm willing to give it a shot." Fuuka's DVDs were stacked on the coffee table in front of them, and Mitsuru stared uneasily at them as if they were heckling her.

Yu stood up to say something, and Akihiko clenched his fist...but his tone was markedly calmer than the other night. "How do you give someone a Persona?"

"Would you like to see?" Mitsuru asked instead. She nodded to Fuuka, and Fuuka set up the DVD player. The billboard-sized TV that took up one whole wall of the room roared to life. "I must admit," Mitsuru continued, "I'm not exactly sure what we'll be seeing here. I wasn't even aware that this footage existed."

The very first video opened up in an ominous hallway of what looked like a hospital. _No wonder she hates hospitals,_ Akihiko realized. The mood turned grim as the first person to appear on camera was none other than Dr. Tsukuda. He looked realistic enough; wearing a stethoscope and carrying a clipboard that he flipped through as he appeared to be waiting for someone. His creepy face lit up as he saw someone else coming down the hall. "Ah, Kouetsu-sama!"

Mitsuru flinched. Akihiko inched slightly closer to her – not close enough for the others to make jokes, but just close enough to telegraph _I'm right here with you._ He was finally going to get his first look at Mitsuru's grandfather. There were never any pictures of the man in Mitsuru's room, or any Kirijo property he'd ever been to. Oh, they acknowledged the man existed...they just weren't proud of it. In history, they'd read about the Egyptians and how dissidents had their name and image chiseled away, to erase them from time itself. If only it had worked for Kouetsu.

Two people entered the hallway, and Akihiko – along with everyone else in the room – did a double take. Kouetsu Kirijo was a stout, portly, grumpy-looking old man who simply exuded evil. His hair was gray, and he was balding, giving him the appearance of an over-boiled egg that had lost most of its white flesh along with the shell during peeling. He just looked like he reeked of cologne and tobacco. This man was related to the most beautiful girl in Gekkoukan High?

Well, obviously he was, since he was carrying her.

In Kouetsu's arms was a little girl with ringlets of red curls and yet another birthday cake dress. Her eyes were bright and she was bubbly and animated, talking a blue streak to her horrible ancestor. "...and I'm the only one in my class who can read, and Teacher says that I read at a nine-year-old level, and she will have to get different books! There are no books without pictures in them at school, did you know, Grand-père?"

The girls all cooed, and Teddie Teddie sparkled somehow as he exclaimed, "Baby Mitchan!" Akihiko laughed to himself about the fact that Mitsuru's beginner accent and her missing teeth made it sound more like "grumpier", or "vampire", which were both probably a lot more accurate. Mitsuru was looking down at her feet, her cheeks flushed slightly.

Kouetsu just nodded at everything his granddaughter said, only half-listening. "Yes, of course you're the smartest in school – you're a Kirijo. I wouldn't accept anything less." His voice was higher-pitched than Akihiko had imagined, although it did sound a little scratchy from too much smoking, like wind blowing through a dilapidated bell tower. When they reached the doctor, his voice took on a harsher tone. "Tsukuda. Is the equipment ready?"

"Well, yes, Kouetsu-sama, but..." Tsukuda looked much meeker in front of someone he actually feared. "There's a slight problem: we're out of subjects." He reported this as if he was admitting to being out of potato chips. "These experiments are very taxing on the human brain. Most of the subjects exhibit self-destructive behaviors for a few days before suddenly expiring. It's quite frustrating." Not exactly the appropriate reaction to mass murder.

The kids didn't agree, either. "Expiring?" gasped Chie.

Beside her, Yosuke paled. "These experiments killed people?"

Junpei looked even more uncomfortable than Mitsuru, and it wasn't hard to imagine why. They'd heard that most of the kids the Kirijo Group abducted for experiments died, but to think that the scientists considered it a stumbling block rather than a tragedy...

Kouetsu nodded. "Street urchins and mental patients lack the proper brain power for these sorts of things. What we need is an unsullied brain – a strong one."

 _Oh, shit._

 _She was fucking FIVE!?_

Yukari and Fuuka gasped. "Oh, no freaking way!" said Kanji. Everyone just stared at Mitsuru in disbelief.

On-screen, Tsukuda actually shared their sentiment. "Kouetsu-sama? Are you referring to the young miss?"

"Grand-père?" Little Mitsuru was equally confused – and apprehensive.

"Mitsuru," Kouetsu began, "As the only," at this he sighed. Bastard must've been sexist, too, "heir to the Kirijo legacy, you have responsibilities that other children your age do not have..."

Akihiko couldn't help himself anymore. "Son of a bitch...!" he exclaimed as he rubbed his hands over his face as if to wipe away what his eyes were seeing – or any potential tears threatening to leak.

"I can admit that I've spoiled you a tad," Kouetsu laughed ruefully, "anything you've ever wanted, I've given you, haven't I, _ma_ _cherie_?" Mitsuru nodded, still not grasping it. "And now, Grand-père has something to ask of you in return, just a little thing, for your beloved family. You love your family, don't you, Mitsuru?"

"Yes, of course!" That had to be the most dickish thing you could possibly ask a five-year-old child. What else was she supposed to say? He saw Mitsuru cringing out of the corner of his eye and wondered just how vividly she remembered this. He felt sick. **Five**. He was practicing tying his shoes at five! Miki was struggling to ride a bike at five!

Mitsuru was being violated before she could even spell the word.

Kouetsu flashed a crooked, yellowed smile. "Well, then, I need you to help me with this very important job! What do you say?"

As if she had a choice! "A-all right."

" _Bon_! Tsukuda, get another bed. We won't be undone by Nanjo this time!"

You could hear a pin drop as everyone in the room held their breath. Not even Teddie Teddie was squeaking. Akihiko forgot himself as he watched them wheel equipment into the room.

They put Mitsuru on a hospital bed and rolled up her sleeves. The bed was so big, she nearly disappeared into the mattress. Tsukuda's hesitation seemed to vanish when he entered the lab, and his bedside manner was nonexistent as he set up an IV with no thought for the fact that his "patient" was a small child. Mitsuru whimpered, and a single stream of tears ran from her eyes.

"Now, now," Kouetsu consoled with absolutely no feeling whatsoever, "you are five years old, Mitsuru. Nearly grown up. Come now, it's for the Kirijo Group. Just think how proud your father will be when he hears what a wonderful job you've done!"

"Father?" Mitsuru tried to raise her head, but Tsukuda pushed her back down. "Is Father going to be here?"

"Hold still." Tsukuda barked.

Yukari clenched her fists and growled. " **Oh, that is just so low!** " She knew better than anyone how much Mitsuru loved her father.

"Now, Miss Kirijo," Tsukuda no longer seemed friendly and subservient as he stuck countless electrodes on Mitsuru's head, "You are going to hear a sound. I want you to tell me if you can recognize anything familiar in it." He flicked on the machine closest to him – and those whirring clicks began.

Fuuka ran to Mitsuru, and Akihiko could now make his move as well. He took her hand so she couldn't scrape up her wrist again. Rise was already sitting next to Yu, and she began trying to hide behind him. Koromaru herded Teddie Teddie back to the group before he could run off again and wreak havoc in the house.

Aigis and Labrys both suddenly perked up. "It's a Plume of Dusk!" Labrys exclaimed. Mitsuru nodded.

"You mean the thing that lets you robots summon a Persona?" asked Yukiko.

"They're fragmented Shadows," said Mitsuru, and the Shadow Operatives looked at her incredulously. "That's why they enable machines to run during the Dark Hour." Akihiko couldn't believe what he was hearing. They had been riding around on a motorcycle powered by Shadows?

Naoto thought of something even worse. "If a person awakens to their Persona by accepting their Shadow, and this experiment uses a Shadow to broadcast a message...were they trying to draw out a person's Shadow?"

"Teddie?" Yu tried to get the bear's attention. "You said that Nanako was too young to have a Shadow when she was trapped in the TV World...Teddie?" Teddie Teddie was still watching the experiment.

"Do you hear anything?" Tsukuda was asking.

"...No?" answered Mitsuru.

"Concentrate harder." And the son of a bitch came out with another needle – and stuck it in Mitsuru's temple.

On video, Mitsuru shrieked.

In reality, Mitsuru shook.

Akihiko grabbed hold of her and reached for the remote Fuuka was holding. "I think we should shut this off for now."

"Don't!" Mitsuru grabbed his arm. "They need to know." She remained wrapped around his arm (not that anyone noticed).

Tsukuda brought the machine even closer to the bed, and Teddie Teddie leapt up from the couch, snarling. "Grr...you meanie Midnight Channel reject! How **dare** you say those things to Mitchan?" That's right – he's really a Shadow.

Another needle joined the first...and another...and another. "Listen again. Do you hear anything?"

Past Mitsuru had been crying silently until the fifth or sixth needle when she suddenly convulsed and screamed. "NOOOO! FATHER!" That was the last straw for Present Mitsuru as she flinched and began sobbing.

" **FUUKA, TURN THE DAMN THING OFF!** " said Akihiko. Finally, Fuuka paused the DVD. The others just sat in silence as Mitsuru tried to compose herself.

Akihiko had given up on propriety as he cradled Mitsuru, noticing how frail she felt today. He hadn't seen her eat much in his presence, and he suspected she was living off tea and cake.

Yu seemed cowed as he attempted to process what he'd just witnessed. "Why didn't you tell us that you'd gotten your Persona in a lab as well?" he asked gently. "None of us would have thought any less of you. I wouldn't have let Marie use that device, either, if I'd known it would affect anyone else."

Mitsuru was clearly still shaken, and she took a full minute to come up with an answer. "I wasn't looking for sympathy in the wake of everyone else's revelations."

"But if Minazuki had known that he wasn't alone in what he went through," Yu was saying, "it might have made a difference."

"And when did Minazuki ever give me the opportunity to share this information?" Now Akihiko could faintly see his breath as Mitsuru found her cold snap again. "The first time he and I met, he was taunting me with the death of everyone I've ever cared about while I was strapped to a cross. I don't think he was interested in the fact that it wasn't the first time I'd been restrained against my will!" Goosebumps began forming on Akihiko's arms. "The moment he discovered I was a Kirijo, his two minds were made up. Nothing I said to him would have made a difference. He might have even assumed I was lying to placate him. If I've judged Minazuki unfairly," at this, she turned to look at Labrys, "I was just responding in kind."

"You're right."

Labrys? That came out of nowhere.

"I did the same thing when ya came to get me," said Labrys, "The Kirijo Group made me do things I didn't wanna do, and I hated them. I didn't wanna listen to what ya had to say. You were one of 'em. But I was wrong. You ain't yer grandfather! And ya shouldn't hafta be punished for what he did!"

It was the same thing the other Operatives and Takeharu Kirijo himself had been telling Mitsuru all these years...but perhaps it meant more coming from a "victim". Mitsuru looked as if she was going to cry again. "The next time I see Sho-kun, I'm gonna sit on 'em until he listens!"

"Uh, I think you'd kill him, Labrys," Junpei joked.

Yu didn't look happy. "Let me guess," Mitsuru said to him, "you're wondering what any of this has to do with your cousin." This received a slight chuckle. Kid had a one-track mind, but at least the track was straight and actually led somewhere. Akihiko couldn't blame him for wanting to protect the little girl. "Shirogane had the right idea. This is why my grandfather went insane," Mitsuru explained, "He would spend hours with multiple Plumes of Dusk, studying them, holding them. He claimed they spoke to him. In reality...they were speaking to his Shadow."

"But the Shadows in the TV World are showing the kidnapped kids **happy** memories." said Yu.

"Only because they aren't there," Naoto interjected, "You said so yourself. They're bribing them to come out of hiding."

"But how do they know the children exist in the first place?" wondered Mitsuru. She tried to ignore the still image of her younger self writhing in agony on television. "I am no longer convinced that Public Safety is orchestrating these kidnappings. They don't know the first thing about Shadows."

"So, then, who is?" Akihiko found himself asking. He had someone in mind, but he was afraid to say it now that everyone had finally made up. Looking around the room, he saw that others were in the same position.

Labrys looked pained. "Sho-kun." It fit, and yet...it didn't. Why go through all this just to get back at Mitsuru? Why not just come at her with a knife? Did he even want Mitsuru anymore, or did he just want attention?

"Perhaps," Naoto came up with yet another solution, "he's being manipulated. Minazuki may be a loose cannon, but he does have a grudge against the Kirijo Group, which could be easily exploited. Furthermore, using Minazuki effectively keeps Public Safety's hands clean of any wrongdoings."

This only served to anger Labrys. "So they're gonna use Sho-kun and then throw him away, just like that Ikutsuki guy did? How's he gonna learn to trust anyone if they're all playin' with him?"

Mitsuru looked sympathetic for the first time since their meeting with Dojima. "Perhaps your plan has some merit after all." She sighed. She'd been doing that a lot lately, and one of Akihiko's heartstrings snapped with each successive one. "I suggest we break for lunch – a light lunch. We have more than enough to digest as it is."

* * *

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TLDR version:

Mitsuru didn't feel anything for Akihiko until after Shirakawa Blvd. She didn't get a chance to do anything about it before people started dropping like flies, and she and Akihiko started drifting apart. When she needed someone, MC was there.

Akihiko's viewpoint will be later.

It's just fanon, but I like the idea of Mitsuru being reckless as hell on her motorcycle. Someone like her, who's been raised to be quiet and restrained, needs some place to let loose and go nuts.

All of the info I got on Nyx and Plumes came from the wiki, so I hope it's accurate.

I think I've actually just changed my own mind with this story. While it would have been nice for other people to know about Mitsuru, telling Sho this would only make him angry that he wasn't being taken seriously. He wanted revenge against Kirijo, and the idea that a Kirijo might be sympathetic hadn't even occurred to him (or was shot down by the "Minazuki" personality). Plus, who says he'd believe her? It's not like they have some kind of tattoo or distinguishing mark that identifies them as experiments. Mitsuru at least had loving parents to go home to after the experiments. Sho had nothing but Ikutsuki, and then he had nothing at all.

Labrys had done the exact same thing in the first Arena game – assumed Mitsuru was just like the other Kirijos, and wanted to either make Labrys destroy other robots again, or put her back in her box like a toy she didn't want anymore. Sho's life had been ruined by the Kirijo Group, but he was unaware that each generation of Kirijos was radically different than the last. I'm not saying that he wasn't a victim, just that the person who hurt him the most wasn't even a Kirijo at all.


	12. Coronation Pt 2

Mitsuru's "light lunch" must have looked like a banquet to the Investigation Team, because it sure as hell did to Akihiko – and he thought he was used to her by now. It was partially Kikuno's fault; the overachieving maid wanted to make sure everyone was well-fed, under the impression that non-Mitsuru teenagers could put away mass quantities of food (she ended up being right). They staggered back into the living room.

"I never thought I'd say this," Chie was saying, "but I never want to look at another piece of meat in my life."

The IT shared a collective gasp. Yosuke, who had been about to sit down, suddenly leapt up, grabbed his chest, and dramatically collapsed onto the couch. "No...meat...for Chie?! Gah!"

"Are you hurt, Yosuke-kun?" Yukiko didn't seem to get it. Then she gasped. "Maybe you could help me with my special medical training!"

"Yeah, wrap him up real tight, Yukiko," Chie retorted, "Make sure you get his fat mouth first."

Mitsuru watched all this go down with a wistful expression on her face. Akihiko shared her sentiment. If only they could be carefree kids again...those of them who'd been carefree kids in the first place. "Shall we continue?" she asked. Why she was punishing herself like this, no one knew.

The next video opened on another empty hallway...until scientists and maids were seen frantically running up and down it.

"Where could she have gotten to?"

"Have you tried the library?"

"Kirijo-sama isn't going to like this!"

Kouetsu came lumbering down the hallway and paused when he saw the commotion. "What's all this nonsense?" he bellowed.

Two scientists managed to crash into one another in their haste. "Oh, Kirijo-sama! Er...there's been a slight...holdup with today's experiment," the taller scientist managed to sputter.

"Holdup?"

"Yes, we've...well, **this idiot** ," the other scientist glared at his coworker, "somehow managed to lose...Young Miss Kirijo." He quickly hid his face to avoid Kouetsu's wrath.

"YOU **WHAT**?" Kouetsu proved he was Mitsuru's grandfather as his temper flared. The scientists immediately prostrated themselves. "WHERE IS TSUKUDA?!"

"He is outside, Kirijo-sama!" Tall Scientist sobbed in the direction of the floor.

Kouetsu stormed off without giving them a second look. Outside in the courtyard, he found Tsukuda addressing a copse of trees. "Come now," he was saying, "this is not proper behavior for a young lady of your stature. Won't you come down from there?"

"No!" came a tiny voice from among the leaves.

Akihiko burst into laughter as he realized what was going on. "You're up a goddamn tree?" he chuckled.

"I didn't know you could climb trees, Mitsuru-san," said Ken.

Mitsuru blushed. "They told me I couldn't," she explained. Yeah, that sounded about right.

Kouetsu lost what little patience he had. "Mitsuru! What is the meaning of this? You will get out of that tree at once!"

Mitsuru whimpered and abandoned her stubborn streak. "I...I can't get down," she fibbed, "It's higher than I thought it would be. I'm afraid!"

"This is ridiculous. Someone get a ladder!"

Two more people entered the scene, one vaguely familiar, the other a stranger until he opened his mouth. "Well, well, Kirijo-san, I beLEAF we have a problem here!" he giggled. "It appears that the illusTREEous Tsukuda has been STUMPed! Oh, I'm hot today, hee hee!"

The Shadow Operatives cringed. "Ugh! Ikutsuki's there, too?" Yukari bitched.

"Wow – those are beary bad jokes," said Teddie Teddie. If **he** thought your jokes were bad...

Standing next to Ikutsuki – with two whole eyes – was none other than Takeharu Kirijo. He still had that same determined grimace, which intensified as he neared his father. "Father...is there a problem here?"

Kouetsu couldn't even spare a smile for his own son. "Your daughter," he grumbled, "is making a scene. I won't have the Kirijo name sullied by such melodramatic, childish behavior!"

"Mitsuru **is** a child," Takeharu insisted. "She is five. Have you tried talking to her?" He approached the tree and his voice got much gentler. "Mitsuru, what is the matter?"

"Father!" A few leaves fell to the ground as a small leg appeared. "Father, you're here!"

"Your father is very busy at work, young lady!" Kouetsu snapped. The leg retracted. "You've interrupted him with your selfishness!"

"I'm sorry, Father!" sniffled Mitsuru.

"That's quite all right, Mitsuru," Takeharu glared at his father. "Now, why are you hiding up in this tree?"

"If I may go out on a LIMB-" Ikutsuki blurted out, grinning like an idiot.

"Oh, God, kill him now!" Junpei facepalmed.

"-perhaps Young Miss Kirijo-chan is scheduled for another round of experiments?"

Takeharu whirled around. "Father! Those experiments were highly dangerous! Mitsuru is..."

"...Old enough to make her own decisions." Kouetsu finished for him. "And Mitsuru agreed to assist in our research, didn't you, Mitsuru?"

"Y-yes, Grand-père."

"Are you sure, sweetheart?" Takeharu sounded like he was going to climb the tree himself if he thought Mitsuru was upset.

More of Mitsuru appeared, including her little face. "I'm going to make you proud, Father!" she declared, "You'll see!" And she dropped to the ground unscathed so she could hug her father – to the aggravation of the servants, who had just arrived with a ladder. The moment Takeharu let his little girl go, Kouetsu grabbed her arm and all but dragged her into the building, Ikutsuki trotting behind like a happy-go-lucky dog. Tsukuda shook his head and followed.

"Aww, Mitsuru-san was a real daddy's girl!" Rise chirped.

Yukari was sniffling as expected, and was it Akihiko's imagination, or was Naoto tearing up? That didn't seem like her at all. Even Kanji looked emotional! Dads sure were a sore subject with Persona-users.

Mitsuru was put in another hospital bed as Tsukuda walked in and bolted the door. "Now that we've had our little fun," he spat, "we're not going to run away again, are we?"

The tone of his voice made Mitsuru shake. Her eyes widened as he approached the bed. "No, no, I'll be good, I promise! Please..."

"You enjoyed making me look like a fool in front of your grandfather, didn't you, Mitsuru-chan?"

"No!"

Tsukuda put down his clipboard and took Mitsuru's tiny wrist. He reached down beside the bed and brought up a strap, the sight of which made both Mitsurus burst into tears.

Akihiko reached for Mitsuru's hand without even thinking.

Tsukuda had strapped her to the bed.

"This is sick," Yu's sister complex had kicked in, "This is just sick."

The machine began whirring again, and Teddie Teddie began to get agitated. "LIES!" he shouted. He could hear the Shadow talking to young Mitsuru again. "Mitchan's Pops seemed like a beary nice guy!"

"You can understand the Shadow, Teddie?" Aigis asked him.

"Why is it talking about her dad?" Yukari asked. She had started holding Mitsuru's other hand, her Evoker out on the coffee table in case she needed to do any healing.

"It's trying to make her sad enough that her Shadow will come out!" This seemed to strike a chord with the IT, and they looked even more worried. Tsukuda had mentioned in the last recording that the other patients had died after a few days. Did they develop Apathy Syndrome and just stop caring?

Teddie Teddie continued. "Little girls like Mitchan and Nana-chan don't have Shadows because they're too young and innocent and don't have grown-up fears," he explained. He shook his little fist at the screen. "But they have little girl fears!"

Yu looked like he had something to say but really, really didn't want to say it. "What kind of fears?"

"They're afraid...their mommies and daddies don't love them – that they never should have been born!" Teddie Teddie sounded as if he were near tears himself. "That's why Daddy's always gone all the time. He didn't want a little girl. He wanted a boy."

"That's not true at all-" Yu barely managed to get out before Naoto immediately rebuked it, "It doesn't have to be true, so long as there's one seed of doubt." Her throat sounded tight. Akihiko wondered if she'd started dressing as a boy for reasons besides the police force.

Some of the kids at the orphanage had been dropped off there by relatives, and once they stopped dreaming about their parents changing their minds and dramatically rescuing them, they would cry themselves to sleep wondering if they just weren't good enough to be loved. Their lament was always the same: _Was it because I was bad? Did I do something wrong? Why don't they want me?_ Watching them harden and turn away from the world that refused them was always heartbreaking to see. Those orphans must've had really dark Shadows.

On-screen, Mitsuru finally stopped crying and attempted to pick her head up. "What?" she called out, "Wh-who's that?"

Tsukuda's grin was eerie. "Do you hear a voice?" he asked. He brought out more needles and dragged the machine over until it was practically in bed with Mitsuru. "What is it saying?"

But Mitsuru had gone silent with a look of abject fear on her face. Whatever she was hearing had traumatized her. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head violently. Sweat ran down her face as she began panting. Suddenly, she flinched, crying out...and the Plume of Dusk cracked.

In another room, Kouetsu and Ikutsuki were observing the procedure through a two-way mirror, watching with bated breath. Ikutsuki bounced on his chair like he'd been waiting to use the bathroom for hours. When the Plume cracked, he leapt up. "Did you see that!?" he shouted, even though it was obvious Kouetsu had been watching the same thing he was, "She caused a reaction! No one's ever done that before!"

"She's fighting back," Kouetsu beamed, "Her will is strong. She's a Kirijo through and through."

The door to the observation room slammed open. "Father, I demand to know what you are d-Mitsuru? Mitsuru!" Takeharu had arrived, and to his horror, found his little girl writhing in agony while everyone around her just watched. He leapt at the glass as if he could shatter it with his fury alone. "MITSURU!"

She couldn't have heard him. He didn't have the intercom on. But Mitsuru sensed him somehow, and opened her eyes anyway. The moment she saw her father, her eyes lit up, and the machine began beeping wildly. The Plume of Dusk exploded.

Everyone leapt up. "She broke the machine!" Ikutsuki began dancing with glee. "I can't believe it! She broke the machine at five years old!"

"How is that even possible?" Kouetsu wondered.

Takeharu had escaped in the excitement, and broke into the operating room where Mitsuru was shaking in the fetal position. "Mitsuru, you're safe now! I'm taking you home!" He tore the restraints away and Mitsuru came back to life.

"Fa...ther?" she tried to say, but her voice was faint and scratchy, as if she'd been screaming for hours.

Her little hand found his collar, and she pulled herself to his neck, burying her face in his shirt, seeking comfort in his familiar scent.

Junpei saw his opportunity and took it. "Is that how all the experiments went?" he asked, "For everyone?"

Mitsuru couldn't look at him. "I would assume so," she said, "I wasn't aware there were any other victims until we confronted Strega." She swallowed nervously. Mitsuru, nervous? "I think Chidori knew. I can't be certain, but...she would stare at me until I felt that I had been stripped bare and everything I'd been thinking was hers to analyze, and yet, she never stared at you or Akihiko that same way. Perhaps she refused to speak to me because in her mind, I was a hypocrite."

Chidori had given Akihiko the creeps, with her monotone voice and blasé acceptance of death. He could have done without watching her Persona try to strangle her as well. He tried to imagine a tiny Goth girl strapped to a bed, being confronted with a Plume of Dusk and...what? Dead-eye staring it down? "How'd **they** manage to survive this?" he wondered. He hadn't realized he'd spoken out loud until Junpei glared at him.

"Fatalism?" Mitsuru suggested. "If you've fully accepted the advent of your death, I suppose Shadows might seem welcoming."

"If the only survivors of the Potential experiments were Mitsuru-san, the three members of Strega, and Minazuki," Naoto gripped her chin and mused, "what was the common thread between the five of them?" _It must be easier to be on the ball when you weigh less than the ball._ The petite girl could be dangerous if left to her own devices. Akihiko was grateful she was now on their side.

The third video jumped several years and was labeled "16-5-99". Now it was the Shadow Operatives' turn to tense up. This was the year the whole world gained visitation rights to Hell.

It opened on a different location than the first two – a homier lounge – and Aigis perked up. "This is Yakushima," she said. Mitsuru nodded.

This time, a woman entered the room. She looked very much like Mitsuru, aside from her hair and eyes. Her posture and manners were both aristocratic and yet rehearsed, as if she was worried that someone would remove her from this plush life at any moment.

"Madam Hanae-sama," a maid addressed her, and Yukari moved closer to Mitsuru. Her mother. Akihiko found himself completely entranced by this glimpse into Mitsuru's future, courtesy of her past. She was going to grow up even more gorgeous than she was now, a feat Akihiko would have said was impossible. The only things Mitsuru ever told them about her mother was that she was sickly, and often went abroad for medical treatments. He got the feeling they weren't really that close.

Hanae accepted the tea offered to her and drank it hesitantly. "Is she asleep?" she asked the maid.

"The young miss was very agitated this evening," the maid reported, "She kept inquiring about her father and insisting she be allowed to contact him."

"She hates being left at home without him," Hanae nodded.

"And you, Madam?"

Even her furrowed brow was the same as Mitsuru's. "I've grown accustomed to it," Hanae said softly.

This relatively peaceful moment was interrupted by a scream. "FATHER, FATHER, FATHER!" Mitsuru came running into the room in a nightgown sobbing, her hair askew and falling over her face.

"Oh, _ma petite_!" Hanae caught her daughter, "What's the matter, hmm? Did you have a bad dream?"

"It was green, it was all green and there was blood and I couldn't find anyone and...where's Father? They have to find him! G-Grand-père..." She collapsed into her mother's chest, crying too hard to get the words out.

"Darling, it was just a dream. Your father will be back soon, you'll see."

"Mine won't," Yukari mumbled. Lucky for her, Akihiko couldn't smack her without getting Mitsuru as well.

The door to the lounge slammed open and men in riot gear barged in, accompanied by Kirijo scientists and police officers. "Kirijo-san," an officer said, "I'm afraid we have some horrible news for you,"

Hanae gasped and fell back onto the couch. Mitsuru began wailing.

"There's been an accident at Tatsumi Port Island," the officer began, "We're not sure what actually happened, but an hour ago, the laboratory owned by the Kirijo Group suffered an explosion that nearly decimated the surrounding areas. The officer removed his hat, and Akihiko knew what was coming. "There were no survivors, ma'am."

Hanae covered her face with shaking hands – but Mitsuru stood up. "No! Father is alive!"

"Miss Kirijo," the scientists were taken aback, "how did you know that? We'd only just received word-"

"What's this all about?" the officer demanded, "Did you not give the research lab as the last known location of Takeharu Kirijo? You people may think you're above the law, but this is a matter of national security! Civilian casualties are being reported as we speak. People are going hysterical, claiming they've seen coffins and some kind of tower-"

"THAT'S WHERE FATHER WENT!" Mitsuru shrieked.

"There is no such tower on Tatsumi Port Island," the officer insisted.

"It's gone now," said Mitsuru, "Everything green is gone now, but when it all turned green, I heard-"

The scientist who spoke earlier just stared at Mitsuru before realizing something. "Young Miss, perhaps your father will want to hear your story when he returns." Turning so only she could see him, he placed his finger over his lips in a silencing gesture.

Another officer barged in. "Lieutenant! There's some sort of disturbance going on at the Moonlight Bridge!" he said.

The lieutenant clearly wanted to interrogate them some more, but he produced a card instead. "We'll be returning tomorrow morning to continue this," he said. "This entire property will be under surveillance. Don't leave this city."

After he left, the scientist turned to the riot squad. "Get over there and find Kirijo-sama **at once**." He sure as hell did know something they weren't telling the cops. "Kouetsu-sama is dead," he said to the distraught women, "Something happened with the Shadows and the people in charge of them lost control, causing the entire lab to go up in flames. If Takeharu-sama is indeed alive, then he is now the inheritor of the Kirijo Group and all of its holdings."

Hanae's jaw dropped as she put the pieces together. "They suspect him?"

"Takeharu-sama was not there when we arrived on the scene, but a witness swears that directly after the explosion, around midnight, the sky suddenly turned green and he was surrounded by coffins. Takeharu-sama appeared and took several people with him to investigate this tower. I saw no such tower, Madam...but I did see this man suddenly appear out of nowhere. He was not there when I first arrived, and he says I wasn't there during this green period. I was-"

"-a coffin," finished Mitsuru. Hanae looked like she was about to faint.

"Young Miss, how long did this green period of coffins last?"

"Umm...not long? When I woke up, it was almost midnight."

"But it's just after midnight now!" the maid, who had been trying to clean up the mess left by the intruders, piped up.

"Do you know what your grandfather was attempting to do with these Shadows?" The scientist removed his glasses to clean them. Mitsuru just shook her head. "What you've just experienced is a time displacement phenomenon. It's what we've been studying. Shadows have the unique ability to transcend time as we know it. They aren't bound to normal dimensions like you or I..." He seemed to have forgotten he was talking to a little girl as he prattled on.

Hanae didn't look as if she got it, either, but she understood one thing: "Where is my husband?"

"I can't feel him anymore," Mitsuru said, sinking down into the sofa. She looked lost. "When everything was green, I could tell he was in danger, but now..."

"We are going to have to see if we can recreate tonight's conditions," explained the scientist. "If Takeharu-sama is indeed inside this...tower, then we have to find a way to make this tower manifest again. I have an idea, but it's just speculation at this point. Young Miss...I will return here at 11:45 pm tomorrow night. I'd like for you to wait up for me." And the scientist left them, pulling out his phone and calling people as he left the estate.

"This is when the phenomenon known as the Dark Hour began?" Naoto asked.

"Wait," said Chie, "You left your dad in that creepy tower all night?"

"Oh, time works differently in Tartarus," Fuuka explained, "Even if Kirijo-san wasn't rescued until the next night, it would have only felt like an hour to him." It was brave as hell of her to speak up. Akihiko knew that she'd feared for her life every second in Tartarus, and her already timid nature didn't help. They were shocked when she'd casually announced that she'd been successfully avoiding the Shadows without even having her Persona.

Sure enough, the next video opened with the unnamed scientist arriving at Yakushima to find Hanae and Mitsuru waiting for him. On Hanae's lap sat a book that she must have been reading to Mitsuru to pass the time. Akihiko and Naoto both reacted with amusement to the English title: The Time Machine.

"Good evening," said the scientist.

"Ah, Himura-san," Hanae finally gave him a name, "I must tell you, I don't approve of keeping my daughter awake at this hour of the night."

"I can't sleep, anyway," Mitsuru interjected.

Himura gave her a sympathetic glance. "It will be all right. Now, I'd like you to walk me through the previous evening. What were you doing at approximately this time last night?"

"I was dreaming of Father," Mitsuru began, "He and I were walking somewhere I've never been before. It was snowing...Father was telling me that...something was going to happen to Grand-père."

"What?"

"He didn't tell me, he just told me that I needed to be brave. We kept walking until I realized someone was watching us."

"Who, darling?" Hanae had tensed up.

"It was a woman in armor. She looked like someone I'd seen in a book, but she was real and I felt like I knew her." Well, now they knew for sure who that was. "I turned to ask Father who she was, but I couldn't find him! He disappeared, and I ran calling for him, but I couldn't find him anywhere!" She clenched her fists and tried not to cry. "When I woke up, everything was green, and I went looking for the servants – but all I could find were coffins!"

"And Takeharu-sama?"

"He was somewhere horrible! I-I could feel how frightened he was, and-FATHER IS HURT!" And the little girl collapsed in a puddle of curls and tears.

Himura had been taking notes, and as he glanced at his watch, the minute hand reached 12. "It is now that same time. Perhaps we will be fortunate, and that phenomenon-"

The footage jumped erratically and the sound cut out like one of Mitsuru's records scratching.

"What the hell was that?" Yosuke and the others flinched and covered their ears.

The footage began again. "-will occur once more. The time is now 12:01...Miss Kirijo?" Mitsuru had been sitting on the couch just a moment ago...but now she was cowering in a corner of the room. "How did you get over there?"

"Someone doctored the footage!" said Yukari. It sure looked like it.

Mitsuru smirked ruefully. "Have you forgotten already?"

"The Dark Hour causes all electronic devices to stop functioning," added Aigis, and realization slowly dawned on them. The cameras had stopped working and Himura had been Transmogrified.

"I don't understand!" Hanae was understandably confused, "I was watching Mitsuru, and then suddenly, she was gone! I didn't even blink!" She vainly tried to calm her terrified daughter. "Did...did the world go green again, _ma petite_? Were we coffins?" Mitsuru nodded, covering her face but peeking through her fingers.

Several maids entered the room sobbing. "Madam! They've found Kirijo-sama!"

"Where?" Himura grabbed her by the shoulders.

"On the island!" she cried, "He's alive, but he's been taken to the hospital. They say he just appeared out of thin air!"

Hanae quickly rose and scooped up Mitsuru. "Oh, thank heavens!" Hanae exclaimed. "Mitsuru, darling, you go to your room now and get some rest. I need to get to the hospital before the police do."

"But I have to speak to Father!" Mitsuru insisted. "He's the only one who knows what I saw!"

"She's right. I'm sure the young miss can sleep in the car," Himura assured her, "We must hurry, Kirijo-san!" They ran out of the room.

Everyone seemed to be focusing on a different fact. The IT were having trouble grasping the time situation Fuuka gave them. Yukari was convinced that Ikutsuki had personally filmed all of this footage, and it was probably tampered with, which was understandable up to a point.

Naoto, however, had seized a different element. "Himura..." she murmured, "I believe that name came up in my research."

"He was my grandfather's third-in-command, and assumed control after the explosion," Mitsuru explained, "Father excommunicated him as well."

"I may have located Himura-san, as well as several other top brass," said Naoto. Mitsuru stiffened up. "They've been living under assumed names, all over the country." She pulled a notebook out of her pocket. "Himura, Akasofu, Tokei...they weren't as well-hidden as your father had believed."

"What are you thinking?" Akihiko asked Mitsuru. He knew she wasn't going to just file this information away for later. There was a glint in her eyes that had been absent for way too long.

"I have to contact them," Mitsuru rose from her seat. "Ikutsuki must have had a reason to save this footage, and it most likely was Minazuki." She caught Akihiko's eye before adding, "You're free to enjoy Iwatodai before returning home, if you like. Just notify my driver when you're ready." And she closed herself in the study.

Yu and Naoto locked eyes. Now that he knew the signs, Akihiko could see Naoto's brain working. He'd better get his warmed up as well.

Minazuki is going to have no idea what hit him.

* * *

pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

OK, the wiki says that "during an investigation on Tartarus, Takeharu was attacked by Shadows. His eye was injured during the attack, thus why he wears an eyepatch." Mitsuru's memory in The Answer has a guy specifically say "it's only the second time anyone has been here without special equipment", so I guess the first time they went in was when it happened? Explains why they asked if it was okay for Mitsuru to be there.

I cannot for the life of me find the exact date for the '99 lab explosion, but the Aigis phone game supposedly takes place in May and ends with MC's car accident, so I guess that's when it happens? I picked a random date; I'd be interested to know if Japanese supplemental materials gave the actual day.


	13. Spark

TFW you find some info that you should have included earlier. Also, fluff.

My beta couple seems to have eclipsed my alpha couple at the moment. Well, that's okay - they have less problems, better get them squared away so I can get back to AkiMitsu.

pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

* * *

Life in Inaba continued to be too narcoleptic for Naoto's liking.

With Yu temporarily re-enrolled in Yasogami, the Investigation Team was eager to spend time with both him and their newly-evolved Personas. It seemed wrong to feel grateful for the TV World being active due to the mass kidnappings, but the other alternative – borrowing Evokers from Mitsuru – was overwhelmingly terrifying, even for Naoto, who had been handling a gun for years. Confronting your own mortality as casually as ordering a pizza was, as Kanji would say, "freaking hardcore." The newly-added knowledge that Mitsuru had been summoning when she was Nanako's age didn't help matters, either. No, best to stick to something familiar when trying out new weaponry. If she thought of Yamato Takeru as an upgrade she'd just been cleared for, it made sense. One wouldn't take an automatic rifle out on patrol without first practicing in the shooting range, after all.

Labrys had also decided to join them in the TV World, with Mitsuru's blessing. In theory, it was due to the fact that she'd been inoperative for years and needed field training, since all the old Kirijo labs had been destroyed. There was no denying, however, that Labrys felt more comfortable with the Investigation Team than she did with the Shadow Operatives. Her enthusiastic defense of Sho Minazuki put her at odds with them, Akihiko especially. His behavior came as a shock to Naoto because by all accounts, Akihiko was a jovial man who might pummel you in the ring, but be the first to shake your hand when it was all over. Adding Mitsuru to the equation removed all of that. Was he devoted to Mitsuru out of loyalty...or was it something else?

A gust of wind removed Naoto from her thoughts. Yosuke and Chie, the latest to evolve their Personas, had become fairly competitive lately. They were currently keeping track of how many Shadows they had vanquished, each accusing the other of exaggerating. Naoto found it a bit immature, but every Shadow vanquished was one less Shadow that plagued Inaba. Their arguing had amplified considerably these last few months...as did their interactions. They were both very good at egging one another on; Yukiko had began to imply that this had something to do with their evolutions until Chie hurriedly stopped her. Even Yu had a knowing smirk on his face. Could it be that they, too, had complicated feelings for one another?

Why was Naoto suddenly seeing love everywhere she looked? This wasn't like her.

They had reached the end of their current floor, a zoo setting with mostly animal-based Shadows. "All right, everyone, let's call it a day," Yu said, panting.

"You guys tired already?" asked Labrys, shaking Shadow goo off her enormous ax.

"No way!" Chie continued to bounce from one foot to another defiantly – although at a much slower pace than she did when they first entered. "I'm in the lead!"

Yosuke had been tossing his kunai around, and nearly dropped one on his foot. "That last one didn't count!" he protested, "That was **my** kill, and you jumped in front of me!"

"Can we just leave them here for a while?" asked Kanji. Silently, Naoto agreed.

"Kanji, there are almost 20 floors left!" Rise's voice cut in. Even she sounded exhausted.

"What the-how many kids are missing?!"

"The latest police reports estimate about 30 children," Naoto offered. "Of course, not all of them may be directly related to our case. The so-called "copycat crime" phenomenon that occurs when a major crime is sensationalized may be at work here. It's the media who's at fault; saturating the news with their exposés and fearmongering..." Perhaps it was nervousness that had her mouth running haphazardly, or fatigue addling her brain, but Naoto failed to process that the middle of a supernaturally-created dungeon in another dimension was the entirely wrong place to entertain a pet theory.

Kanji had been watching her with resigned amusement until he'd found a suitable place to cut her off. "Naoto...Naoto, you're coppin' out again." He distracted her with a gentle boop on the nose.

"I don't think that word means what you think it means, Kanji-ku-" She stopped mid-sentence. The scandalized look she gave him was severely undercut by her growing blush and the fact that Kanji had just booped her nose in front of all of their friends.

As expected, Rise squealed. Unfortunately, she squealed through her new Persona, so everyone winced. "Oh, sorry, guys! Kanzeon's a little more powerful than I thought!"

"I'll keep that in mind," Yu chuckled, shaking his head. He seemed content to watch his friends interact, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Is the coast clear, Teddie?"

Teddie brought out his exit screens with a smile. "All quiet on the electronics front, Sensei! This way to the exits, everyone! Thank you for using Teddie Bearlines. Please, watch your step!"

As they climbed out of the Junes television, a ringing noise came from Labrys' uniform. "Aah! My new cell phone! That means Mitsuru-san's callin'!" She found the device, but seemed to be at a loss on how to use it.

Yosuke recognized the model and tried to help. "It's the button over there...no, the other one...yeah, press that...you should've picked up now."

"MITSURU-SAN, YOU THERE?" Labrys yelled into the phone. "CAN YA HEAR ME? HELLO?"

A moment of silence followed before Mitsuru's voice came through with what Naoto assumed was the audible interpretation of a raised eyebrow. "I'm fairly certain everyone within a ten-mile radius can hear you, Labrys, but yes. What's the status on your reconnaissance mission?"

"There's like 20-something floors, Rise-chan said! No sign of any humans or any clues or nothin'. The Shadows are just as confused as we are!"

"I was afraid of that," Mitsuru sighed. "We'll be returning to Inaba later this evening. I have a few...meetings to attend. As always, stay alert." She hung up, but didn't realize Labrys hadn't.

Yosuke intervened again. "Now hit the other button...the OTHER button! The one you were trying to hit earlier! Just...just give me the phone...here..."

"No leads," Yu said. "I just don't get it. How are these Shadows tapping into the kids' feelings if they don't know where they are?" His shoulders were sagging under the heavy burdens he'd taken it upon himself to carry.

"We'll keep at it, Senpai," Rise reassured him. "There's gotta be a clue in there somewhere. And I can sense a bit more now!"

"It's not enough," Yu suddenly decided, "We need even more manpower." He stowed his golf club – all their previous weapons had been sold when he left Inaba – and tried to shrug off an invisible weight. That Featherman dungeon had been Yuuta's. "Let's go back in with the Shadow Operatives when they get here." No one had the energy to argue with him. At the very least, having more Persona-users might free up Naoto, giving her the opportunity to tap into some kind of Super Sleuth Mode.

It might also give her more opportunities to observe something she was too terrified to participate in.

* * *

Akihiko probably shouldn't have been surprised by anything Mitsuru did by this point. After nearly six years, he'd seen how determined she could get. You didn't tell Mitsuru Kirijo "no" and live to tell about it. What disturbed him, however, was the speed of her turnaround. Naoto had given Mitsuru some addresses of the scientists who'd escaped, and it took all of Akihiko's strength to counteract Mitsuru's and keep her from immediately hopping on the bike and taking off by herself. When he asked her if she'd eaten, he received only a glare in response. It was as if she was trying to convince herself that she was still strong, and not the small, defenseless woman he'd carried around like a doll just the other night.

The other night. It was hard to believe that this was the third time Akihiko and Mitsuru had slept in the same bed, even if the first time was an accident. The only thing on Akihiko's mind that night, however, was making himself as big as possible so he could shield and cocoon this fragile little person who bore very little resemblance to his executioner. He never wanted to hear her scream like that again, never wanted to see the naked terror in her eyes as she fought to get away from her own head. Few things scared Akihiko...but losing Mitsuru was definitely one of them.

It wasn't true that Akihiko didn't notice girls. He noticed them, all right – they were all fucking annoying, and he wanted nothing to do with them – or so he told himself. For years, he had been too stubborn to admit that he was fascinated by Mitsuru. She was a girl, and yet...she wasn't. At least, not like the other girls in Gekkoukan, who shrieked and squealed and only worried about their hair and clothes. It was like being surrounded by birds! Mitsuru was quiet, reserved. Her comments on Akihiko were never about how "cute" he was, but about his strength and determination, the things he was most proud of. When they began battling Shadows for the first time and Mitsuru revealed that she was strong as well, he was hooked. She was amazing. She handled that sword like she'd been born holding one, and took down Shadows without breaking a sweat. They worked together like a well-oiled machine, a team that communicated without words, the only dance that Akihiko knew with the only partner he'd ever accept as his equal.

And then he pissed it right down his leg in the love hotel.

Whatever had gotten into his head knew him well enough to reinforce his belief that power was hot. That night, the most powerful woman in Japan was standing before him in a towel, and it was the hottest thing he'd ever witnessed. Before he'd realized it, she was in his arms and he fell into her eyes. How had he never noticed Mitsuru's eyes were so beautiful? He'd spend the rest of his life in her eyes if he could. Her hair smelled so damn good he had this irrational urge to bury his face in it. How long had she had this soft skin, and why hadn't he noticed it was the same creamy color as his protein shake?

Mitsuru never yielded to him if she could help it. He loved it when they sparred; their battles often ended in a draw because they were both overpowered, and neither of them wanted to admit defeat to the other. But the look in her eyes that night, the shy smile, the soft way she landed on his lap like a snowflake and melted into his touch? _**She would**_ _**yield**_. He had her right where he wanted her and god, did he want her! And she wanted him. What would have happened if his arm hadn't hit the nightstand and knocked over the alarm clock, breaking the spell they were under? The look of betrayal on Mitsuru's face haunted him for years. He'd fucked up. He let himself be swayed by a Shadow, and he nearly took advantage of one of his closest friends. He was terrified that he'd lost Mitsuru forever, and he couldn't bear to look at her after that.

How cruel fate was, then, to place them on a beach with Mitsuru in a bikini that showed him just how much of a creep he was because he couldn't stop watching her hips sway and her bosom jiggle as she walked. He couldn't treat Mitsuru like some girl! She was so much more than that! Junpei's "Operation Babe Hunt" just made him nauseous. How many guys had done this to her, just walked up and started hitting on her like some pervert? Did they have any idea how tough she was? How smart?

There was no one in SEES he could talk to about this at all. Junpei had gleefully demonstrated this, and Makoto...could the kid even **talk**? He thought about asking Shinji, as fruitless as that was, but he knew he would be in for a world of teasing. Shinji had realized how Akihiko felt before Akihiko even did. But once they'd got back to Iwatodai, shit started hitting the fan left and right, and he didn't get the chance. He ended up fully obsessed with Shinji's return, his addiction to pills, his refusal to let go of the past.

His death.

By the time Akihiko came out of the haze of losing Shinji, Mitsuru's father had died, and Mitsuru was lost to him. He just stood, dumbfounded, watching as she crumbled. When he picked her up, it was the first and only time she felt heavy. Grief was crushing her. He wanted to say something, **any** thing, but Mitsuru left for home as soon as she could, and carried the weight of the world on her shoulders until after Kyoto. He was delighted to see Mitsuru returning to her old self...until he began hearing rumors that she was dating Makoto. He'd blown his window of opportunity and lost her. Running off to South America was his only recourse. His body got stronger, but it did nothing for his heart.

So here they were in the limo, with the adult Operatives, heading to one of the addresses Naoto gave them. A nursing home. Who knew what they'd find there? Akihiko was the closest thing they had to a cop among them, but he didn't think he'd be able to concentrate on a real investigation with the ghost of Mitsuru coming along. She said nothing, barely moved, and he couldn't be sure she was even still breathing without watching her chest – again, making him look like a creep. Her tea had gone cold at least three times now. Wherever she was, he hoped it was comforting.

The limo pulled to a stop, but no one was in a hurry to get out. Mitsuru reappeared and just...sighed. The only thing keeping Akihiko in his seat was the fact that Yukari was watching them.

"So, uh," Junpei was never a fan of lulls, but his attempts to shatter it today seemed halfhearted, "We're here." No one bothered to chastise him for stating the obvious. They were all nervous for Mitsuru. "What now?"

"I don't know." Mitsuru spoke so softly it was as if she hadn't spoken at all.

"Senpai, you don't have to do this," Yukari began. For all her faults, she loved Mitsuru, too. If Akihiko couldn't be around to protect her, he could at least count on Yukari to hover over Mitsuru anxiously in his stead.

"No...I do," insisted Mitsuru. They waited for what seemed like ages as she slowly got out of the car, eyes closed, willing Artemisia to lend her the required strength. It kicked in faster than he thought it would. "Let's go."

The nursing home had the hospital thing going for it, which didn't help anyone's nerves. Akihiko wished Fuuka had come along – her family were all doctors – but she had an exam to take. It wouldn't do to have two hysterical girls to have to carry out, anyway.

People stared at Mitsuru in fear and awe, even though she was currently wilted and dragging herself across the room. They reached the receptionist's desk, and she scrambled for the right words.

"Yes?" This prune in glasses manning the phone had no idea that she'd unwittingly performed a miracle – cowing Mitsuru.

Aigis, bless her, decided to take over the proceedings. "Mitsuru Kirijo would like to speak with Akasofu-san, please." She inclined her head towards Mitsuru, who stood a little straighter. "Immediately, if possible." Yeah – best to be one of those eccentric rich people who didn't deign to talk to commoners and had servants to do her work. Good one, Aigis.

Several gasps could be heard from around the room, including one from the receptionist, whose hand hovered over the intercom system as if she was in conflict with herself about what to do. "Oh, yes, r-right away...Kirijo-san." She apparently paged a nurse, but when she picked up the receiver, she turned away and covered it with her hand so they couldn't make out what she was saying. Akihiko's hackles immediately rose. Were they being led into a trap?

A young nurse came down the hall and froze when she saw Mitsuru, nervously glancing at the receptionist. The receptionist's entire manner had changed. "He...ahem, Akasofu will see you now. Please follow Kimiko to his room." Seriously, what the hell was going on?

Akihiko slipped up behind Mitsuru under the guise of escorting her and took a chance on brushing her hand. "You okay?" he whispered.

"No," she whispered back. He couldn't blame her.

Akasofu, if Akihiko was remembering correctly, turned out to be the tall scientist that Kouetsu Kirijo was yelling at on that footage from the other day. Of course, by now he'd shrunk down to a fraction of his size, and was suffering from palsy, but his features were the same. "Visitors?" he wheezed, "I don't remember who you are, I'm sorry. I didn't think I had any grandchildren."

Mitsuru hung back, so now it was Yukari's turn to take over. Forcing a light, cheerful voice, she chirped, "Hi there? Are you Akasofu-san? We'd like to talk to you for a bit. Is that okay?" Akihiko didn't think addled seniors watched Featherman or bought fashion magazines, but most guys who were breathing liked a pretty girl.

Akasofu chuckled. "So why have you come to brighten an old man's afternoon, hmm?"

Akihiko was up now. "You were a scientist back in the day, right?" he asked, "for Ergo Research?"

Akasofu pulled a face at the name. "I would say no...but if you know about Ergo, you already know the truth." Then he looked behind Akihiko and choked. Mitsuru had walked into the room at last. "It's time at last...at long last!" he was muttering. "I always knew you'd come for me...Lady Kirijo."

Mitsuru was five again. "You remember me?"

Akasofu's eyes misted. "How could I forget? Young Miss..." He straightened up. "But you'd be twenty-one now, wouldn't you? A mature flower, grown straight and tall out of the muck and mire you were nearly drowned in as a seedling. And we thought ourselves gods for what we did! We tried to kill you." Akasofu wrung his hands. "And now, you've finally come...to kill us!" Whoa. He was totally convinced his day of reckoning was at hand. It seemed like he even **wanted** it to come.

"No." Mitsuru was crying again.

"It was Tsukuda!" Akasofu suddenly cried, grabbing onto whoever he could in a frenzy. "It was all Tsukuda's doing! He'd gone mad with power that wasn't even his to take. We told him there'd be consequences!" He threw his crippled body onto the floor at Mitsuru's feet. "I beg you to forgive me, Lady Kirijo! Allow me to repent as you take back the life we stole from you!" This guy had been waiting here the whole time for Mitsuru to come and get revenge?

Mitsuru might have puked right onto his head, and no one would have blamed her. Instead, she tentatively reached out and gently laid her hand on his shoulder. "I...I forgive you." Then she backed away and ran out of the room.

* * *

The ride to Inaba was somber and probably unnecessary, but they felt a change of scenery might be a welcome distraction, and Akihiko really wanted to punch Shadows. He kept Mitsuru close to him and didn't care what the others thought about it – although Yukari may have subtly approved. Mitsuru cared even less, as she had buried her face in his shirt again. Why she always seemed to end up on his bad lung, he didn't know, but she appeared to be the only person on earth who found it comforting – along with the smell of him – and he was glad he could at least give her that.

 _Mitsuru had decided to save her words until she could string them together, so when she woke up shaking, she whined plaintively until Akihiko rocked her like a child. Third time that night. He never pressed her for details because he didn't think she could fully explain the night terrors even at full capacity._

 _He couldn't keep his hands out of her hair as he comforted her. It sort of comforted him in turn. He was really bad at this knight-in-shining-armor shit, yet he seemed to be the only thing keeping Mitsuru sane for now. He only prayed he was doing a good enough job. She had scared him shitless and he didn't even want to think about what would have happened if she'd failed to wake up._

" _Dntlveme," Mitsuru mumbled into his armpit._

" _Huh?"_

" _Don'tleavemeAkihikoplease." It had the makings of a sentence, but lost form along the way._

" _I'm not going to leave you. You're safe, Mitsuru. I promise I won't leave you. C'mere." She needed to stop looking so goddamned small – it made him think he was going to crush her. Her eyes had grown three sizes over the last hour, and he wondered if she was actually seeing Akihiko when she looked at him...or someone else._

 _Mitsuru melted into his chest as she finally calmed down, keeping one hand on him in case he decided to run away after all. He thought she'd fallen back to sleep until she suddenly slurred out another sentence. "Thereitisagain."_

" _There's what?"_

 _Mitsuru opted to use her hand to show him instead of trying to explain._ _He gasped at her cool touch, and realized what she was trying to say. She was hovering over his bad lung, the one he'd trained extra hard to compensate for. The one he considered a constant reminder of his failure._

" _Oh...yeah. They, uh...they said it was inhalation damage..."_

 _Mitsuru was watching him closely._

" _...from all the smoke."_

 _He saw the understanding in her eyes before he was forced to look away. Her hand returned, stroking him softly before something amazingly tender happened._

 _Mitsuru leaned forward and touched her lips to his chest._

Akihiko was fairly certain he was breathing fast enough for his lung to sing Mitsuru a lullaby right about now.

* * *

Pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

TLDR version: Akihiko had begun loving Mitsuru years ago, but then Shirakawa Blvd. happened and he felt like he'd blown it. He didn't get a chance to say anything before people started dropping like flies, and by the time the dust settled, Mitsuru was SL'ing with the MC.

And yes, Akihiko's breathing patterns that Mitsuru discovered that first night together waaay back in Ch. 3 was supposed to be significant earlier. As a child, he sustained some lung damage rushing into the burning orphanage to try to save his sister. It's what tips her off that it's Akihiko carrying her and not her father - even though she feels safe and loved with him - and the realization that there's more to their relationship than she'd previously thought.


	14. Evoke

Going to Inaba right after the nursing home was probably a bad idea. The sky was already getting dark, and they could smell the rain approaching. For Mitsuru and Akihiko, a rainy night called to mind the first time they found themselves having an impromptu slumber party and the can of worms they'd unwittingly opened that night.

No, it was **definitely** a bad idea. Mitsuru's mind was too scrambled to put up a decent argument against it, and she was worried about Akihiko. He was tense and agitated, breathing way too hard to simply be excited about fighting Shadows. He hardly spoke at all the entire ride, even to her – not that she was in a chatty mood herself. Several times he gripped her hair so tightly she thought he would rip it out at the roots. She wanted to ask him about it, but she had a feeling it wasn't anything he wanted to say in front of the others. Yamagishi had met them outside school already upset by proxy, and Amada could read the atmosphere well.

When he finally relinquished her, she thought she'd allow the others to get out before them under the pretense of smoothing back her hair. But Akihiko practically leapt out of the car ahead of her. He didn't even stop to offer to help her to her feet. Had her reaction angered him? Was he worried that he'd angered her?

Once she was out of the limo, Labrys accosted her. "Sorry about the phone, Mitsuru-san!" she said nearly as loud as the slight she was apologizing for.

"That's quite all right, Labrys."

Labrys, who had been trying especially hard to be amicable towards Mitsuru, made an unfortunate mistake. "So...how was your meetin'?"

"It was..." Mitsuru faltered. Oh, **now** Akihiko returns, spoiling for a fight! "It was short." The two of them would just have to come to blows on their own time.

Narukami's impatience was a welcome respite. "Good. Now we can use Fuuka-san's power to guide us even farther."

Kujikawa was adorably displeased with this. "Hey! What am I, burnt tofu?"

"It'd free you up to come with us."

Kujikawa's mood did a sharp u-turn.

"In that case, you'll need a healer." Amagi did little to hide her inner fire. "I mean, since Rise-chan hasn't fought for very long – she might be kind of weak."

But Kujikawa had dangerous flames in her own eyes. "We'll see."

If Narukami was worried, he didn't show it. Instead, he reacted to his phone once again chiming. "Nanako's home by herself," he explained, "Dojima-san's been working nights again, and I promised someone would be there for her."

"This weather's getting pretty nasty," Hanamura pointed out. "Is Nanako-chan allowed to use matches if the power goes out?"

"What if she starts sleepwalking and knocks over a candle?" Tatsumi suggested.

Shirogane chimed in. "Grampa has a generator," she said, "Perhaps we can bring Nanako-chan to his house for the night? There's plenty of room, and Yakushiji would certainly keep an eye on her." The fraternal instincts of the entire Investigation Team were endearingly strong. Mitsuru found herself wondering just what had happened to the child that had everyone clamoring to protect her.

Little Nanako seemed elated to be surrounded by her friends, and even seemed to accept the Shadow Operatives. The dour mood that had tainted the limousine quickly dissipated when she climbed inside, eyes aglow. People began talking, laughing. For Mitsuru, who had been riding in limos since before she could identify them, the view from the other side was as fascinating as it was poignant. How dull was this poor child's life that a limousine ride filled her with wonder?

The rain was coming down in sheets by the time they'd arrived at Shirogane's, and the wind had picked up considerably. "Marie must be pissed," Narukami was faintly heard saying.

All 18 of them splashed their way into the foyer before a chuckling Shirogane-san. "You seem to bring a storm quite frequently, Kirijo-san. Perhaps tea is what we should be brewing instead? Yakushiji, bring our many guests some dry towels, please?" Yakushiji had been peevishly turning up his nose at a soggy Koromaru, but gladly excused himself.

Iori engaged in his usual chatter. "Man, I haven't seen weather this bad since that typhoon that canceled our Culture Festival – remember that?"

"Ugh, don't remind me! Besides, it's too early for typhoons," Yukari lectured. While they bickered, Shirogane used the distraction to head off after her grandfather, leaving Tatsumi confused as to where she was a few minutes later.

"So I guess we're not going out on our..." Amada made sure Yakushiji had not returned and that Nanako was preoccupied with looking out the window before continuing, "excursion tonight?"

"Not unless Naoto's grandfather has a big enough TV set," said Hanamura.

"Yosuke! That's an even dumber idea than your usual ones!" Teddie chastised him – to the apparent surprise of Satonaka, who looked as if she was angry she hadn't thought to do it herself. "We don't know where Gramps' TV would lead! Need I remind you that that's beary important?"

"Speaking of TV sets...um," Yamagishi began, and Mitsuru preemptively cringed, "I have those files, Senpai – if that's all right?"

 _When did my childhood trauma become a rainy day babysitter?_

Akihiko began to intercept. "I really don't think today is a good day for that, Fuuka."

"Then again...we **are** all here," Maybe she was just angry with him for brushing her off, but Mitsuru was suddenly determined to do the exact opposite of whatever Akihiko expected her to do. "I suppose we should get this over with as soon as possible – but we must ask Shirogane-san first." Her friends were shocked, but one look from Mitsuru stopped them from protesting.

"Naoto's probably talkin' to him – I'll go ask her." Tatsumi was quick to leave what even he could tell was an awkward situation.

Towels arrived, and everyone chose to dry themselves rather than continue a tense conversation. "Does Naoto-kun's grandpa have a really big TV set?" Nanako had fortunately heard only what interested her.

"Oh, yeah, you've never had a sleepover at Naoto's before!" Satonaka grinned at the girl. "It's gonna be a blast! You'll have so much fun, you'll forget all about the storm."

"Let's get you into your pajamas, so we can make a pillow fort and talk about boys!" Kujikawa chimed in.

"And scoring with-" Teddie began to add something, but Amagi gave him a fiery look and produced a fan from her pocket that had the walking costume visibly sweating.

"Let's go look for Naoto instead, huh, Ted?" Hanamura tugged nervously at his collar as he attempted to drag Teddie away from anyone female.

Narukami shook his head as he gathered Nanako's things together. "Pajamas, yes – boys, no."

Kujikawa pouted again. "Oh, Senpai, you're no fun!"

"Besides," Amagi took his side, "I'm sure Nanako-chan doesn't even care about boys at her age."

"There's a boy in my row that throws paper at me," said Nanako, "Sometimes he folds it into animals first, though."

"That means he likes you!" gushed Kujikawa.

"Tell him your brother has a golf club," Narukami added. They led Nanako up the stairs, with Koromaru opting to follow them.

When only Operatives remained, they turned to Mitsuru with questioning, accusing eyes. Mitsuru took her sweet time removing her boots in order to avoid them, but she could feel Akihiko's silver stare piercing through any defense she could put up. So he was truly angry now. Well, so was she.

 _You owe me for this, Minazuki. You_ definitely _owe me._

* * *

Grampa had retired to his study, where he had no doubt planned to spend a quiet evening with a good book before Naoto impetuously ruined it. "I apologize for yet another intrusion, Grampa,"

"It's no trouble, my dear," Hiraku Shirogane reassured his granddaughter as she shook water off her hat. "'Any port in a storm', as they say."

"It's just that...Yu-senpai was worried about Nanako-chan being home alone during the storm, and if the power had gone out while her father was away-"

"Naoto," he began in a tone of voice that never failed to evoke feelings of guilt in her, "When I agreed to let you return to Inaba and consult with the police department, do you remember what we agreed upon?"

"Yes, of course: you wanted me to resume my schooling at Yasogami, do well in my studies, naturally, and..."

"And?"

"You wanted me to make friends." She sighed.

"You have no idea how much it delights me to see that you have done both, my dear – though I never doubted you for a second." He removed his glasses, the distinction between Shirogane the Detective and Grampa. Even after all these years, Naoto wasn't sure which man was harder to evade. "Why, then, are you still afraid that you have failed me?"

Grampa was definitely the harder one.

Naoto was never happier to see Kanji than she was at that moment. Amazingly, he knocked before entering, even though the door was ajar. "Hey, Naoto? Uh...everybody wants to watch more of Mitsuru-san's secret origin shit, after they get Nanako-chan to bed. S'that okay?" Was he standing straighter? He was definitely making an effort to refrain from scowling.

"Grampa?"

Grampa just smiled. "Have a good evening with your friends, Naoto." It was as much an order as it was a farewell.

Kanji uncharacteristically elected not to ask about the mood he'd walked into. He did, however, react to the taunts of Yosuke and Teddie as they met them in the hall.

Rome wasn't built in a day.

* * *

Mitsuru was forced to admit to herself that she'd gone too far in her vindictiveness. Forcing herself to watch home movies from hell, as a guest in a home she'd already embarrassed herself in, without the benefit of Akihiko to console her was doing in her PR worse than Public Safety ever could. The already flimsy excuse of using them to understand Minazuki was wearing thin.

Once Nanako was secure, Shirogane led them to a lounge, where they crowded around a television. In spite of herself, Mitsuru began looking for Akihiko. He was deeply involved in a conversation with Satonaka and Tatsumi, and did not even seem to be concerned for her.

"So, where were we?" Yukari would buffer her. She remained by Mitsuru's side, perhaps hoping to get a glimpse of her own father, although he would have been long gone by this point.

Mitsuru struggled to form coherent sentences. _Keep it together._ At least Artemisia sympathized with her, feeding her suggestions like a metaphysical earpiece. She would have to explain that first night in Tartarus; obviously there was no video feed of the night she'd jumped in front of her father and summoned that first specter of her Persona.

Shirogane prompted her. "It was the first Dark Hour."

"Yes. They'd lost control of the Shadows and the laboratory exploded, giving rise to Tartarus, right where Gekkoukan High stands now. And...Father lost an eye." She'd never managed to quell the wince that occurred whenever that gruesome topic came up. Her bangs also sympathized. "As you can imagine, it took a great deal of convincing to allow me to accompany him."

The DVD supported her narration as the date flashed by: 23-5-99. "This is your reason for fighting, isn't it?" Amada asked, and all of the Shadow Operatives bar Labrys recalled the memory the Abyss of Time had presented to them.

"I awoke to my Persona to protect him," Mitsuru remembered bitterly, "You saw how well that went."

"How old were you?" asked Narukami.

"I'd just turned eight."

Predictably, he came to the conclusion that, "Nanako's almost eight." Sister complex, indeed. Imagining that cheerful little child wielding a powerful spirit would certainly put things into perspective for all of them.

Having no record of that event, the video opened with Hanae waiting impatiently at the Kirijo mansion as Takeharu returned, with Mitsuru unconscious in his arms. "What happened?" Hanae cried, snatching Mitsuru from him.

Takeharu's face was grim. "Father's little experiments bore bitter fruit at last," he said.

Behind him, Ikutsuki danced into the room. "What a fantastic find! Your daughter is our first _**natural**_ Persona-user! I **knew** they were out there!" He cared very little about Hanae's distress or Takeharu's death glare. "You should have seen the power she demonstrated! Why, with some more training, she could be an incredible weapon against Shadows!"

"My child is NOT a weapon!" Hanae was furious. "She's just a little girl!"

"She's our only defense! Those Shadows are out there, preying on innocent people. They have to be stopped!" Takeharu shook his head at the sleeping girl. "A Kirijo started this disaster...and now, a Kirijo will have to end it."

"But why Mitsuru?" Hanae relinquished Mitsuru to a maid to put to bed, keeping her as far away from a giddy Ikutsuki as possible. "What have you done to our daughter?"

"Don't look at me as if I wanted this! You know how my father was!" As the couple began arguing, Ikutsuki stood there awkwardly, checking and rechecking his phone. "He had Mitsuru convinced that she owed it to him to take part in his experiments!" He crumpled. Mitsuru had never seen her father look sadder. "She's too young to know the difference between being loved and being used."

Mitsuru could feel the guilt steadily rising in her chest. They'd been a happy family up until that point. Father may have worked long hours, but he always managed to come home to them. Mother would dress in beautiful gowns and coats to accompany him to parties and balls. If Mitsuru stayed up late enough, she'd see them come home arm in arm, blushing like besotted teenagers. They never argued in front of her.

In retrospect, it was foolish to believe that they never argued at all.

The argument was cut short by Mitsuru screaming. No less than three maids came running into the room. "Oh, Kirijo-sama! It's the young miss!" Ikutsuki bolted.

"She awoke screaming, clutching her head," another maid reported, "We can't calm her! She keeps saying, 'She's cold, she's so cold'!"

"Then give her a blanket," Takeharu didn't seem to understand the problem.

"Not 'she', the young miss – someone else!"

Another maid came in carrying Mitsuru, shivering and convulsing as if she'd been in the freezer. There were goosebumps all over her arms and legs. "MAKE HER STOP! MAKE HER GO AWAY! I DON'T WANT HER IN MY HEAD ANYMORE!" The maid gladly dumped her on Hanae.

"What's wrong, darling? Who's bothering you?" No matter how much her mother cooed and consoled her, Mitsuru could not stop shaking. Her breath – as well as everyone else's – was faintly visible in the plush room.

"It's HER. She won't stop calling to me! I don't know what she wants me to do!" Mitsuru wailed. " **WHY IS SHE SO COLD**?"

"Shh, it's all right, sweetheart, it's going to be all right now. Look, here's what we'll do: we'll stay here on the couch, with your blanket – do you have your blanket? Good. We'll wrap you up nice and warm in your blanket in front of the fire-" She gestured to the maid, who began adding logs to the fireplace.

"NO NO! NO FIRE! NOFIRENOFIRENOFIRE!" Mitsuru was now screaming hysterically and trying to get away from the fireplace. The poor maid, who couldn't have been any more than sixteen years old, suddenly froze in place, her face twisted in fear.

"MITSURU!" Takeharu strode over to the couch and took Mitsuru roughly by the shoulders. "Get a hold of yourself! This is your Persona, the power that your grandfather gave you. You are the only one who can control it. Tell her to stop."

"I don't know how!"

"Does...does she have a name?" asked Hanae.

"Pet...pense...pencilt..." the eight-year-old had tremendous difficulty pronouncing something. The 21-year-old found herself mouthing it, as if her younger incarnation could somehow sense her.

"Boy, am I glad I ended up with Io," Yukari quipped.

"Lucky you," Akihiko spoke for the first time, "'Polydeuces' isn't exactly easy in Japanese, either."

On-screen, little Mitsuru clenched her fists and scrunched up her face, a hint of the commanding presence she had as a teen surfacing. " **You** **stop**...Pe..PEN-THE-SI-LEA!"

Immediately, the air in the room changed. The maid by the fireplace suddenly shook, took one look at Mitsuru, and ran screaming from the room. Mitsuru fell back onto the couch, tears of relief streaming down her face.

Adult Mitsuru had more or less the same expression, eyes closed as she relived her first proper Awakening. "She was so uncontrollably powerful at first," she remembered, "There was no one left alive to tell me how to handle her." She opened her eyes. "Then again, I'm not sure they expected to get that far, seeing as how all of the experiments were presumed failures."

"And Strega?" asked Fuuka.

"I can only assume they Awoke after being written off, much like Minazuki. Any records of them were probably destroyed or purposely kept hidden by Ikutsuki." Yet another reason to despise the man – as if murdering her father wasn't enough.

Ikutsuki's obfuscating grin opening the next video put Mitsuru off even more. They were back in a lab: Ikutsuki, her father, and herself. Mitsuru looked confused. "Why did you tell Mother we would be touring the business offices?" she asked her father.

"You know how your mother feels about this," Takeharu replied, refusing to look at her, "She keeps hoping that without further development, it will go away." He glared at Ikutsuki instead. "I don't want Mitsuru to be a danger to herself and others. I've read the reports about earlier victims."

"Not to worry." Ikutsuki had a duffel bag with him that he refused to put down. "Now, Mitsuru," he was saying, "Your Persona is a wonderful boon to our research, but it's useless to us unless you can control it." He finally put the bag down, removing a bottle of water and a simple glass, which he placed on the lone table in the stark, sterile room. "See if you can do something for me," he said as he filled the glass about halfway with water, "Can you freeze this water – and only this water?" He backed away and watched her with the intensity of a parent waiting for their child to take their first steps.

Mitsuru stood before the glass, seemingly not doing anything. She squinted, tilted her head, clenched her fists, walked closer to the glass, closed her eyes...and nothing happened. Penthesilea was completely silent. Unfortunately for her friends, the video could not possibly show her increasingly frustrating thought processes. _Do something. Do something! Please do something?_ Defeated, Mitsuru's shoulders slumped, and she sniffled.

"Told you it wasn't that easy," Amagi retorted.

"It's all right, Mitsuru," Takeharu consoled her.

"I'm sorry, Father. I wanted to help you!"

Ikutsuki was lost in thought. "Hmm,"

"Oh, I don't like **that** look," said Yukari, and the Operatives murmured their agreement.

"Perhaps we need to recreate the exact conditions of your first Awakening." Ikutsuki reached into the bag again. "Let's say I was going to threaten your father..." Gasps rippled through the audience. Ikutsuki had pulled out a gun.

Mitsuru's eyes went wide, and she began to shake. Crystals began forming on the glass.

"That's enough, Ikutsuki!" Takeharu shouted. "You're upsetting her!"

"Yes – but look at the glass!"

Sure enough the water in the glass had frozen solid. Then, without warning, it exploded. Frost grew on the walls like moss. Mitsuru clutched her head and screamed. "Stop! STOP!"

Akihiko, who had been vibrating in his seat, lurched forward as if he meant to stop the scene in front of him. Amada was pale, and kept looking from Mitsuru to the television, his hands shaking. They both knew this situation all too well.

Ikutsuki removed the final item from the bag: a cigarette lighter. The sight and smell of the flame caused Mitsuru to shrink back, taking refuge in a corner of the room. The frost melted away.

"Are you MAD?!" Takeharu retrieved his sobbing daughter and the look in his eye clearly said that if he could summon a Persona, Ikutsuki would have been laid out on the floor.

"It's just as I suspected," Ikutsuki carried on as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, "Her Persona is weak to fire. But did you see that power!"

"I saw a child, terrified of a gun!"

"Oh, it's not real." Ikutsuki took the gun apart to reveal that it was without bullets and several mechanisms that would allow it to fire. "I merely wanted to put Mitsuru into a heightened sense of danger. She awoke to her Persona because your life was at stake."

"But she can't control it! What happens if she gets upset at home? Or at school?" Takeharu's expression was pained as he asked, "How do you remove a Persona?"

"Well, there is one method-"

Akihiko leapt to his feet. "They didn't!" he shouted, clenching his fist.

Mitsuru could only look up at him with watery eyes. "They did." This left everyone else confused, until they heard Ikutsuki speak up again.

"-It's just a temporary solution, mind you. Prolonged use of these suppressants has been...well... problematic for most subjects."

"Those are the pills that Shinjiro-senpai gave Chidori," Iori realized.

"The ones that were slowly killing him." Akihiko had clearly been paying attention when Mitsuru showed him how to stare down a person.

"Senpai! How are you still alive?" Yukari was actually reaching for her Evoker as if to heal away all the perceived damage.

Aigis was never one for personal boundaries. "There appears to be no trace of Persona suppressants in Mitsuru-san's system," she announced.

"Yes, thank you, Aigis. As I was about to say, I was indeed put on Persona suppressants – for several months." Mitsuru spoke to everyone, but looked directly at Akihiko. "When I was 12, Ikutsuki confessed to me that he had been substituting placebo pills. He never intended to lose his 'incredible weapon'." The drug that had debilitated Shinjiro – the one made by Ergo Research – had been the only thing keeping her sane throughout her formative years. It gave her control. The ability to subdue this wild power was literally placed in the palm of her hand, and it made her realize her own strength. Discovering that she had **not** been drugged, that it was merely the force of her will that kept Penthesilea at bay had convinced her that she was capable of anything. The very elements were hers to command. _To think I have to credit Ikutsuki of all people with making me who I am today._

Akihiko had shrunk, his hands falling to his sides. Mitsuru knew better than anyone how watching Shinjiro self-destruct had affected him. Her earlier anger melted away, and this same force of will was now working overtime to keep her from giving him a hug.

A noise in the hallway made everyone jump. Nanako had awoken and was wandering the unfamiliar house in her sleep. "Where are you?" Narukami was out of his seat in a flash.

"Don't wake her," Shirogane warned, "The shock could be too much."

Nanako had her hands outstretched, so Narukami simply took them. "Here I am, Nanako. Come this way. That's it." He led her to the back of the room, where everyone took the pillows from the furniture and laid them on the floor for her. Mitsuru covered the child with her coat, and Koromaru returned to his watch.

With the television at a lower volume, they returned to watching the footage, which had again jumped ahead several years. Mitsuru, presumably twelve, was now showing signs of the commanding confidence they recognized. She, Takeharu, and Ikutsuki were once again in a sterile room.

"You've matured wonderfully," Ikutsuki was saying, but Mitsuru knew that he wasn't talking about her physical development. "I'm sure your Persona has gotten stronger as well. I think it's high time we test that strength properly."

"I'm still not entirely on board with this," Takeharu protested.

"It's all right, Father," said Mitsuru, "I'm not as afraid as I was before." Her shaky voice belied her statement, but she stood tall.

Ikutsuki waited for them to stop before continuing. "Now, remember how your power manifested when you were afraid for your father? What if you could relive that fear of death – not the death itself, but the fear that seized your mind and activated the power within it? The mind is a funny thing, Mitsuru. It can be tricked into realizing its full potential." Again, he brandished his hollow gun...although it looked a bit less hollow this time. He opened it up, and a familiar blue shard was clearly visible. "Do you know what this is?"

"A Plume of Dusk," said Mitsuru, looking even less confident now as she remembered the role the Plume had played in the experiments.

"That's right." Ikutsuki put the gun back together."That should help evoke your fear, shouldn't it?"

He then held it out to Mitsuru.

Mitsuru looked to her father, who merely nodded. She took the gun and studied it intensely, as if it would volunteer information on its own. "And...where do I aim this?"

"You and I both know your father can't always be with you – he's a very busy man." Ikutsuki said plainly, letting the implications sink in.

Mitsuru swallowed audibly. "V-very well," she squeaked out.

The Investigation Team members flinched as Mitsuru shakily raised the gun to her own head. Without years of practiced technique, she chose to look down the barrel instead.

"Damn, that is badass," Tatsumi remarked.

The trigger was pulled, the gun clicked, a tinkling noise was heard as the Plume of Dusk shattered...and Mitsuru yelped and dropped the gun on the floor.

"Okay, who else immediately feels better about their first time using an Evoker?" asked Iori. One by one, the Shadow Operatives raised their hands. Yukari put both of hers in the air. Shyly, hesitantly, Akihiko raised his hand as well.

"Didn't they teach ya anythin' about gun safety?" Labrys suddenly spoke up. "Who gives a kid a gun and just says, 'here, sweetie, shoot yourself in the head for me, all right?'" Perhaps she would have made a suitable Student Council President after all.

"A person willing to go to extreme lengths for the sake of a pun," replied Mitsuru.

Sure enough, while Takeharu was glaring menacingly at Ikutsuki, Ikutsuki was laughing nervously. "Well, I appear to have shot myself in the foot here!"

"Booo!" Teddie jeered, "You stink, Kuki!" How Mitsuru would have loved seeing the bastard react to a condescending nickname. She fought the urge to laugh, and found Akihiko looking at her with the same expression.

"Perhaps if you removed the gun from your sight," Takeharu suggested. His expression suggested that he couldn't believe he was giving his only child tips on how to shoot herself.

Mitsuru did as he instructed, and placed the gun behind her ear. She flinched as it went off, but Penthesilea appeared. "I...I did it,"she said – and immediately passed out.

By this point, Mitsuru was certain they were through with most of her traumatic moments, and was genuinely curious to see what else was on the disc. The others weren't angry with her anymore – Akihiko had returned to watching her carefully for signs of distress. They were able to talk and laugh as they watched Mitsuru become more proficient with the Evoker. As the footage jumped to mid 2006, she found herself feeling more nostalgic than embarrassed.

They were now in an office, with Ikutsuki animatedly reporting something to Takeharu. Mitsuru arrived in her Gekkoukan Middle uniform, and Akihiko perked up. This was the beginning of their relationship; surely he would appear soon...along with Shinjiro. Mitsuru couldn't tell who he was more excited to see.

"You wanted to see me, Father?" Even now, Mitsuru could remember the giddiness in her chest whenever her father requested her presence. He was barely at home in those days, and catching him in a mood to talk was like finding a four-leaf clover.

"Ah, Mitsuru. Yes." The feeling melted away as Takeharu regarded his only daughter just as he would an underling; dispassionately. "Ikutsuki has some interesting news for you."

"Do you remember that distortion you felt the other night, on patrol?" Ikutsuki began. Now in control of her power, Mitsuru had begun going out nightly, during this "Dark Hour", to find Shadows and eliminate them. Father had only accompanied her once or twice, before leaving her in Ikutsuki's company. "After some digging, we discovered the source. You were right in suspecting it wasn't a Shadow." He showed her the folder he carried with him. "It was a person!"

"Oh!" Yamagishi had connected the dots. "Akihiko-senpai!"

"Ikutsuki swears the Potential experiments died with Father," Takeharu was saying (well, they knew **that** was a lie!), "meaning we may have found someone just like you – a natural Persona-user."

Mitsuru's eyes had grown to twice their size, and a light went on in them. "Someone...like me...?" None of them really understood how lonely it was to be the only person tasked with eliminating Shadows in a time period few people knew existed. The few acquaintances she had at school were not to know about her power, which left Mitsuru feeling more like an exchange student than a savior of mankind. Someone else knew what it was like to have a separate voice in their head, a time of their own and a power they could not share? "Who is it?"

"His name is Akihiko Sanada." Ikutsuki opened the folder and presented it to Mitsuru. Satonaka immediately burst into giggles at the picture of a scrawny Akihiko, bandaged nose and all. "According to our records, he also attends Gekkoukan. Do you know him?"

"I know **of** him. He isn't in my class, but they'd announced that someone by that name made boxing captain during an assembly." Mitsuru peered at the picture. "Come to think of it...I've seen his name near the top of the list after exams." She nodded approvingly. This Sanada should be quick to come to terms with their unique situation.

"I'm so glad I managed to meet your expectations," Akihiko said dryly.

"You were such a little shrimp, Master!" laughed Satonaka.

"Heh. Nothing a little training couldn't take care of!"

"Attributing your physique to 'a little training', Akihiko, is akin to saying that I have 'a little money'." Akihiko had trained more than he'd slept back then. Even Mitsuru had managed to forget just how far the tenacious teen had come in a few short years. Nothing was out of Akihiko's reach in those days. He wanted it, and he seized it. Mitsuru had never managed to tell him how she admired that.

"Now, this is where you come in," Ikutsuki's tone changed as they refocused their attention on the video, "We'd like to speak to young Sanada, but a group of adults approaching him could be quite intimidating. He might be willing to speak to a pretty girl his age, though."

"I suppose..." Mitsuru was clearly not enthused about this.

"Mitsuru, it's up to you to do this," said Takeharu solemnly, "It's getting too dangerous for you to go out into the Dark Hour alone. Should you be injured-" His face mirrored the conflict within him. He'd never wanted to send his daughter on a suicide mission, but if she was going to do it, then she would do it right. "There's safety in numbers. Remember that. After all, two in harmony-"

"-surpasses one in perfection," Mitsuru finished for him, "I know." She sighed. "I won't let you down, Father." They'd seen that memory as well. The Evoker turned out to be the perfect accompaniment to her speech. She was just grateful not to have been caught carrying it in school. Had any of those fangirls seen her drawing what appeared to be a gun on their beloved champion...

The scene changed to the Kirijo home, and an exuberant though still restrained Mitsuru came running in. "Father, I've done it! Did Ikutsuki-san tell you? I've convinced Sanada to..." She stopped mid-sentence as the tension in the room engulfed her. Takeharu and Hanae were obviously in the middle of an argument, but what froze Mitsuru was the presence of a suitcase. "Are you...going somewhere?"

 _Oh, no. Not this. Not this!_ Mitsuru bit back a sob and dug her nails into the arm of the couch.

"Now face the consequences of your actions," Takeharu snapped.

" **My** actions? _**Mine**_? No, 'Haru – this is all the result of my failing to act when I should have, years ago." Hanae turned to her daughter. "Mitsuru, your father and I have...not been getting along very well lately, and-"

"She's 14, and smarter than the both of us," Takeharu spat. "Your mother is leaving, and she intends to take you with her."

Mitsuru sure didn't sound 14 at that moment. "Mother?"

Hanae's tone quickly changed as she fought back. "I don't see why you're unhappy – now you can run your empire without any 'worrying distractions'!" Several maids – one they recognized as a young Kikuno – came in with more suitcases. Mitsuru recognized one of them as hers. "It appears you have a new weapon now. Use **him** up and then cast him aside! You no longer need my daughter."

" **Our** daughter is the heir to the Kirijo Group!" Takeharu insisted. Mitsuru's face fell as he failed to mention that he also loved her.

Hanae had a glare so much like Mitsuru's that Akihiko shivered. "So take a mistress. That's the executive way, no? Don't tell me your father hasn't lined them up in anticipation of this moment!"

It looked as if Takeharu was actually moving to slap Hanae, so Mitsuru leapt in between them. "Don't!" she sobbed, "I...I don't want to go!"

"Darling, you're free to be a normal child now! You can still go to school just like a normal child! They have good schools in Kyoto as well. You've worked so hard, and I'm so proud of you, but now it can all end." When Hanae reached to embrace her, however, Mitsuru pulled away.

"But it isn't going to end," she began, "There are too many Shadows for one person to fight alone, and they're claiming more victims every night. None of those people out there realize how much danger they're in...but **I** do. Doesn't that make it my duty to protect them?"

Now it was Hanae's turn to look dejected. "It appears I was wrong. You're a Kirijo too, now." She sent Kikuno to take back Mitsuru's suitcase, and the other maids began removing hers as she turned to leave.

Mitsuru turned to her father, pleading with him to go after her. When he didn't move, she chased her mother down, sobbing. "No, Mother, wait! I'm sorry! MOTHER PLEASE DON'T GO!"

Takeharu managed to keep his stone face until she was gone. Then he collapsed into a chair, too refined to sob even as his family fell apart.

It was a few minutes before Mitsuru slunk back into the house, crying unabashedly. As defeated as he was, he had to attempt to make reparations to his only daughter. "Mitsuru, it's better this way," he said weakly. "Your mother was unhappy-"

" **I HATE YOU!** " shouted Mitsuru, and she ran up the stairs without even looking at him.

Mitsuru could feel everyone's eyes on her, and her stomach threatened to heave itself completely out of her body.

Yukari was also crying. "Senpai-"

But Mitsuru pulled away,"I need air," and ran out of the room. She got as far as the front door before she remembered it was probably still raining. Perhaps if she stayed out long enough, it would wash her away into the gutters like fallen snow.

 _Let it rain._

* * *

pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

Thanks to Persona 5, I'm wondering if Mitsuru actually heard a voice urging her to jump in front of her father and summon. They didn't do it in P4...but their Shadows were actually in front of them at the time.

Mitsuru is the one who, when summoning her Persona, says things like, "OBEY MY COMMAND!", and, "I COMMAND THEE!" I think realizing at a young age that she was in charge of this power would be a real confidence booster and would shape her personality. If she can sink the Titanic with a fake gun, surely she can deal with some business executives!

Also, I can't find any information on this, but are the Plumes self-repairing? If there are 6 "bullets" in the Evoker, then you could only summon 6 times, and then you're done. But you can summon all throughout the Dark Hour, so I'm assuming the Plume breaks and reforms each time. Either that, or sparks just shoot off of it as you activate it or something.

Late in the game, Akihiko says something like "it's been 2 1/2 years since I got this power", so I'm guessing Mitsuru found him in late 2006/early 2007?

I kind of liked Hanae having a nickname for her husband, until Persona 5 came out.


	15. Sugar Rush

They can't all be great titles.

Also, I love my alliteration. Forgive me.

This is also the first chapter where I'm going to ask that you not post any potential spoilers in the comments, even if you've figured out what's going to happen.

pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

* * *

Naturally, of all the times Mitsuru actually wanted it to keep raining, the rain decided to stop. Perhaps Narukami was correct about the weather being conditional to that Marie's capricious whims. Rather than go back inside, she simply waited for the others to get worried enough to come find her. She really hadn't expected Shirogane to be first this time.

She definitely wasn't expecting her to be the only one, either. She didn't even speak at first; when she found Mitsuru sitting in the old gazebo on the Shirogane property, she merely sat down as well. After a while, she spoke.

"Teddie has determined that our TVs do not lead to a safe entrance point," she said casually, as if commenting on the weather.

"As we expected," replied Mitsuru. That may have been a bit too dismissive. It wasn't Shirogane she was angry at. She sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that week. "Thank you."

"Kanji-kun assures me that taking your frustrations out on Shadows and the like is extremely cathartic," Shirogane continued.

 _You seem to be as bad at this as I am,_ Mitsuru laughed to herself. The similarities between the two teams was a curious comfort. "How very Akihiko of him." That made them both chuckle.

Speak of the Devil, and he appears, another member of the Horrible at Consoling Club (with herself as president, naturally). "Kids are getting riled up," he said, "You okay?" His body language indicated he'd hug her if she wanted him to.

Hopefully her body language didn't reveal that she kind of did.

"I suppose we should get this over with while the weather is still amicable," she said instead, and stood, tossing her hair. If she was lucky, Akihiko would take it as a nonverbal 'thanks'.

The others were indeed restless and bickering when they returned. Koromaru padded over to Mitsuru and whined softly, not wanting to bark. Before Aigis could interpret, Narukami guessed what he was trying to say. "I tried to get your coat back from Nanako, but she's kinda attached to it."

"Oh, she's fine." Mitsuru didn't have the heart to disturb a child from her troubled sleep. Comfort was a rare commodity.

The ride to Junes passed much quicker than she'd remembered it, and before she'd realized it, they were milling through the store in an unsuccessful attempt to look as if they'd coincidentally all happened to meet here while going about their day. What a robot with a battle-ax supposedly did on an average day was a mystery better left to the imagination. The store closed, and they filed into the TV World where Mitsuru tried to defer to Narukami as field leader.

 _Field leader. Just like Yuki had been._ Yukari had been worrying about her outfit after landing, but she stopped to gaze wistfully at the boy as she, too, remembered. It made Mitsuru feel incredibly guilty. What kind of best friend had she been lately? Yukari had been there for her throughout her nightmares and trauma, and she hadn't even attempted to talk to her once this week. It wasn't Yukari's fault that Akihiko was better at reading her mood, and much easier to strategize with. The guilt intensified as Mitsuru realized she was considering taking Akihiko with her, and had not rationalized a place for Yukari. Once again, work was coming between them.

Narukami was formulating his plan. "Okay, with 17 of us, we stand a much better chance of covering this entire dungeon."

"So let's go," Akihiko began cracking his knuckles. Mitsuru was sorely tempted to take Labrys instead. This was not a friendly rivalry like it had been with Shinjiro. Akihiko clearly had something he wished to prove, and Labrys, in spite of being an older model, did not come with the maturity software to deal with him.

"I'm coming with you, right, Senpai?" Kujikawa was new to fighting, but she was ruthless in matters of the heart.

"Well, then, so am I," insisted Amagi. Honestly, if these two had been around years ago, Yuki's duplicity wouldn't have gone unnoticed for nearly as long.

This seemed to torpedo straight through Narukami's authority, and he looked to Mitsuru for assistance. "How do you think we should split the groups?"

She didn't dare interfere with the love triangle, but she did have an idea that might mitigate the damage. "Aigis, Labrys, remain with Yamagishi. With Kujikawa in one group, we'll need Teddie in another, and I will take a third group. If my understanding is correct, this 'dungeon' is rather formidable – we'll need to be in constant communication with each other." It was hard to concentrate on commanding with Akihiko bouncing in place beside her like an excited child. "Each battle group will have one navigator and one healer."

"Smart," Narukami weighed in.

"Well, yeah!" Akihiko retorted, and the Shadow Operatives just chuckled.

In the end, Mitsuru elected to eliminate more unspoken competition by placing Satonaka in another group, and (predictably, according to Yukari) keeping Akihiko with her. She had wanted Shirogane – having someone sensible along would relieve her of some of her duties – but Tatsumi ended up in the group with Koromaru, and Shirogane wisely went along to stave off trouble. The fact that it mirrored her own situation did not go unnoticed by either woman. She also ended up taking Yukari and Iori with her, confident that those two would not be distracted by one another.

She really should have taken her own advice.

The moment they entered the dungeon with its madcap construction, Akihiko was in his element. He plowed through Shadows like paper, his cape flowing with him like a second skin. Hyper-focused and overpowered, he rarely even used his Persona unless the occasion called for it. Sweat ran down his chest as his muscles flexed in a tantalizingly choreographed tattoo. When he noticed Mitsuru watching, he sent her a smirk that could have melted both her ice and the garishly-colored candy that surrounded them (their floor was a confectionery).

_WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! PAY ATTENTION!_

Artemisia really needn't yell so loudly.

Now inwardly and outwardly frustrated, Mitsuru threw herself into the fray, a rapidly-moving cold front of elegant destruction. She avoided relying on her judgmental and jealous-she-wasn't-corporeal Persona herself as she slashed and jabbed with a hummingbird's grace and a hawk's ferocity. Tatsumi's conclusion proved to be correct. She felt slightly better.

From behind her, Akihiko chuckled. "Amazing as always." Mitsuru nearly broke a heel turning so he couldn't see her madly blushing face.

* * *

Yu had decided for the fifth time that night that he should have stayed behind with Nanako.

Mitsuru hadn't realized she threw all the Inaba problems in one group, with Chie and Yosuke acting like a married couple, and Rise and Yukiko circling around him like perfectly coiffed vultures. Her reasoning – which had been sound at first – was that his group consisted of the first Persona-users, who had spent the longest as a team together. It was the reasoning she used for her own group. She couldn't pry Rise off Yu's arm, but their group **did** need a navigator, and Teddie was jealous as hell of Koromaru being Nanako's new friend, so he was determined to show him up.

Kanzeon's "battle mode" was mostly physical attacks, which initially seemed like a weird choice for the girly-girl until they witnessed her bitchslap a Shadow. Yukiko blanched, and muttered something about needing to separate Chie and Yosuke before backing away. What made it odder was how Rise immediately switched back to bubbly after the battle was over, as if this was just another facet of her personality. Another role for Risette. He had to admit that it fascinated him.

Yukiko, on the other hand, terrified him. She was merciless to the Shadows, and Amaterasu rained hellfire down on everything in its path. Yu hoped she wasn't imagining Rise on the receiving end. Or him.

* * *

Shadows had appeared to challenge Naoto's group, and Teddie proudly declared, "Three enemies – but they're too slow!" Koromaru barked in reply and herded them towards the others. Teddie may have considered him a rival, but Koromaru seemed to just enjoy having more allies to fight with.

Kanji was in seventh heaven, gushing over the dog and constantly attempting to pet him – much to the consternation of Ken, whose unnatural maturity had robbed him of the simple joy of having a pet. Not that Naoto was much better on that front. She'd never met anyone else who'd lost a parent at a young age – though apparently, the Shadow Operatives were chock full of them – and only now did she see what Grampa and other adults were getting at. Growing up too fast meant waiting alone for others to catch up.

"Really, Kanji-san," Ken was saying, "now isn't the time for foolishness. If you keep letting your guard down, a Shadow could get the drop on you."

"I knew that!" Kanji retorted. He drew himself up to his full height, flexing his arms. "'Course I knew that. I was just makin' sure Koro-chan was doin' all right. He took a nasty hit from that Shadow." Each and every time Koromaru was struck, Kanji flinched and looked as if he'd been punched in the stomach. He'd worried more about him than he did about Naoto, and Naoto realized to her embarrassment that she might have been just a touch envious of an animal. Koromaru may not have realized Kanji had his best interests at heart, however, because he delivered them with such a sing-song tone that made them hard to swallow.

"Does the wittle doggie need a bweak?" Teddie said mockingly. Naoto briefly wondered how old Teddie was, and if he was immature for his age. Did Shadows age? "Some of us have bearly gotten started!"

Koromaru barked and leapt playfully. For an older dog, he was surprisingly spry. "I think Koromaru's fine," Ken interpreted. "We've been at this for quite a few years, he and I. How long have you been fighting Shadows, Teddie-san?" That was a taunt if Naoto'd ever heard one, but she wrote it off because Teddie had been basically asking for it all evening.

"Kid's brattier than ever," Kanji muttered just loud enough for her to hear.

Ken himself didn't seem to give the exchange a second thought as he worked in tandem with Koromaru to surround and eliminate a Shadow, his spear skewering it like a kabob. They both worked so well together that it called to mind something the Investigation Team had discovered late in the case.

"Ken-san, regarding your and Koromaru's Fusion Attack-"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Ken looked confused. Perhaps they had a different term.

"Your cooperative attack? We've found that Persona-users particularly attuned to one another can occasionally perform a joint attack using both their Personas. Several of us have developed them – Kanji-kun and I, for one."

"Yosuke and me have one, too!" Teddie added joyfully as he spontaneously sparkled, "Junes BOMBERRRRRRR!"

Ken looked thoughtful. "You're going to have to ask Mitsuru-san about that," he said, "I've never heard of anything like it. Though perhaps if I saw it for myself..."

The moment the opportunity presented itself, Naoto and Kanji managed to pull off Beauty and the Beast (Yu's reason for referring to it with a title never did make sense to her, but whatever) for a momentarily awestruck Ken.

"That's really cool!" he beamed – before realizing how close to his physical age he sounded. "I mean, it's interesting how you both just came up with this together. We could do that, right, Koromaru?" Koromaru barked his assent.

"Can everyone hear me?" echoed in their heads.

Teddie stopped and put his hand to his ear – which wasn't strictly necessary, but entirely in-character for him. "FUU-CHAN!" he cried, "Is that you? Are you ready to confess your undying love to yours truly?"

Fuuka didn't answer at first (what on Earth could she say to that?), but when she did, she sounded troubled. "Everyone needs to head to the third floor right away! Mitsuru-senpai's group is in trouble!"

* * *

Fighting used to be the only thing Akihiko focused on. In battle, he was all business; the fight didn't end until no enemies were left standing. Mitsuru sometimes shared this same mindset. She could talk about carelessness all she wanted, but when push came to shove, she was damn hotheaded for an ice queen. He finished with his Shadow just in time to turn and witness Mitsuru dancing – that was the only word for it – around her own opponent with her Zorro moves. The Shadow went down with what he could swear was a look of surprise on its approximation of a face. He loved when they underestimated her.

Mitsuru flicked the gunk off her rapier and tossed her hair as if this was everyday shit for her...which to be fair, it was. Without the coat, her every move was visible and damn near impossible to ignore. Akihiko loved to watch her work. If the last thing he ever saw on this earth before biting it was Mitsuru filleting Shadows with a glamorous flourish, he'd be the happiest man in Heaven. She just shone, her hair whipping around her like flames, her eyes hard and determined.

How could anyone not be in love with her after that?

While he was busy ogling Mitsuru, however, the Shadows were ganging up on Yukari and Junpei. _Whoops._ Any second now, Mitsuru would be after him for being careless. And he **was** careless this time! A challenge had been presented to him. What kind of champion would he be if he turned it down?

Renewed, Akihiko began dashing after the Shadows, walloping anything that came in contact with his fists. One bastard tried to make a break for it, and he hauled ass after it, not even caring that it took him off the main path and into one room after another.

"AKIHIKO!" He barely registered Mitsuru joining him until she was at his back, panting as hard as he was. "The others are on their way. We _**need**_ to get back to them!"

That was going to be a problem. The Shadows had succeeded in separating them from their juniors and walled them into the room. Akihiko looked at Mitsuru, she looked at him, and once again, their minds met at their old familiar hangout. They charged as one.

* * *

Personas were weird.

Labrys enjoyed having one, sure, but you had to admit, they looked pretty funny. And how did a robot made in Japan in the late '90s end up with a Cretan princess as her Persona, anyway? (Her database contained countless files on Greek myths and legends). Come to think of it, how did any of them? She was sure Junpei in particular had never read any history books.

Fuuka was standing in the TV World main hub, inside a huge bubble that made up her Persona's skirt (Juno, the Roman goddess, Jupiter's wife). Labrys was sure she was going to suffocate in there, but Fuuka and Aigis assured her that it was fine. Even though her eyes were closed, she could see everything that went on in the TV World, plus maintain contact with Mitsuru, Rise, and Teddie. She called it a "Persona network", but that might just be her computer nerd coming out.

"Rise-chan's group has found the stairs," she said, her voice coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. "Teddie, I wouldn't let Kanji-kun open that chest if I were you!"

Aigis had gone into scan mode, which meant that all her energy was devoted to being on alert, and it wouldn't do to bother Fuuka while she was busy, so Labrys had no one to talk to while she waited. And waited. And WAITED. Jeez, this was boring! Why did they have to wait here, anyway? What were the odds some Shadows would attack them in this lobby area?

Just as Labrys finished her third security sweep around the square area (once around the perimeter slowly, then quickly back the opposite way, scan the ceilings, then return), Fuuka opened her eyes. "Rise-chan's group is heading back to replenish supplies. They managed to get through their entire floor!"

"Everyone's workin' hard for these kids," replied Labrys, "I hope we can find 'em soon." Sho couldn't be kidnapping these kids, he just couldn't! She wasn't sure why she was so adamant about it, but Labrys would bet her own ax that Sho wasn't behind all this. Minazuki was gone. How could one scrawny boy kidnap a bunch of kids without anyone noticing?

"I still can't sense anyone in the dungeons that isn't a Persona-user," Fuuka was saying. Then she gasped. "Oh, no! Mitsuru-senpai's group got separated!"

"They're in trouble?" Labrys unsheathed her ax. "We gotta go rescue 'em! Aigis, wake up!"

"Wait a minute, Labrys." Fuuka wasn't as fierce as Mitsuru, but she knew how to be authoritative when needed. "We need to proceed carefully. Yukari-chan and Junpei-kun are the closest, and right now, they're in the most danger." She paused as the Inaba users appeared in a flash of light. "Yu-kun, is anyone injured? We need to send a new party to the third floor."

"We're mostly all right," Yu said, "just winded. I think Chie and Yosuke need to rest."

The two teens in question had taken up positions on either side of Fuuka's bubble and were both attempting to hide their fatigue from one another. "I won," Chie was saying.

"You won Most Annoying Little Flea, yeah, but I got the most Shadows!" protested Yosuke.

"That's enough, you two." Fuuka wasn't having any of that today. With her friends in danger, she had gotten serious. "Teddie's group is closer to Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai. I've rerouted them." Fuuka continued. "Aigis and Labrys will be joining you. Just get the others and come back here, understood?"

"Got it," Yu answered for them. "Ready, Labrys?" His smile was reassuring. He seemed happy to have her on his team. They all did.

"You bet!" It was nice to be wanted sometimes.

* * *

Very few people had been on top of their game this evening, Mitsuru among them. Color commentary from Artemisia in two different languages certainly wasn't helping, either. But if she **hadn't** been watching Akihiko at that very moment, she might not have seen him chase a Shadow off on his own. He didn't even realize she had been following him, which meant he was completely distracted, and highly vulnerable. Now they were hemmed in by Shadows on all sides, which meant they would not be able to return to Yukari and Iori, who were hopefully better off. Yamagishi was sending reinforcements.

A gap in the wall gave them the opportunity to escape and bottleneck the Shadows. While they hacked and jabbed, Mitsuru made sure to get the scolding out of the way. "Why...are you so...irresponsible?" she lectured in between hits.

"Well, you followed me," Akihiko pointed out as his fist nearly went through the opening, "what does that make you?"

"Irritated," Mitsuru bit back. The temperature in the room dropped about 20 degrees.

"Fair enough."

The wall gave way and crumbled. _Was it made of sugar? Oh, wait...this floor was a candy store. It very well might have been._ Shadows tumbled through it like crazed shoppers in the first hour of a sale Yukari had dragged Mitsuru to one maniacal afternoon. She'd wanted to swing her sword there, too.

With thinly-veiled fascination masquerading as annoyance on both sides, it was inevitable that one of them would slip up...and as fate would have it, it was Mitsuru. She swung wide, and the Shadow attacked with so many appendages that it actually lifted her off the ground.

 _Needles_

 _Too many needles_

 _No NO NO MORE NEEDLES!_

She couldn't catch her breath. Her body stung all over and for a brief moment, she was sure she could hear the buzzing of the machines. She'd forgotten where she was and was terrified that it was all over for her until the Shadow exploded without warning in a bolt of lightning. Fear toxins. Damn it!

As the terror wore off and the pain of a thousand cuts set in, Mitsuru actually found herself grateful that none of the others were there to witness that. Her status as cool-headed leader had all but disintegrated. "Ouch..." she whimpered. Akihiko rushed over to assist her but just stopped cold, his eyes bulging out of his head and his face quickly reddening. "I-I'm all right...I think...Akihiko?" He turned away as quickly as he could. Just how bad was it? Was something missing?

A heavy object fell onto her lap. "Here, just-just take it!" It was Akihiko's cape. And that was how Mitsuru realized to her horror that her catsuit had been completely shredded. THANK GOD no one else had been here!

For as much grief as she gave him over it, Akihiko's cape was very convenient. It was nicely made as well...very thick.

And warm.

And smelled of Akihiko. _**It was just like being held by him.**_

The cape's hood covering her blushing face was even more convenient.

* * *

 _Practically-naked Mitsuru._

 _Try not to think about practically-naked Mitsuru._

Akihiko was sniffling more than a nerd with a head cold. Eight zillion pockets on these goddamned pants, and not one of them held a tissue for his nose that has GOT to be bleeding by now!

 _Calm down, man! You've seen Mitsuru in a bikini before!_

 _Mitsuru in a bikini...GAH! IDIOT!_

His brain refused to stop encouraging him. Time for more frustrated fisticuffs. Oh, good, Mitsuru put the cape on. At least it covers most of her. _Now aren't you glad I have a cape? Huh?_

 _Mitsuru wearing only his cape-STOP IT! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME!?_

He could hear barking and squeaking coming his way, signifying the arrival of Naoto's team _. Hey, Kanji would have tissues._

Teddie Teddie was the first to come barreling into the room with his claws out. "Mitchaaaan! Your loverbear is here to rescue you!" Mitsuru failed to look impressed. The others looked as if they'd been wanting to strangle him for the past half hour. Naoto noticed what was missing, but refrained from mentioning it.

Ken did not. "Sanada-san? Where's your cape?"

"Don't ask."

"Is everyone all right?" Fuuka's voice floated in to them.

"Yamagishi, where are the others?" Mitsuru had to shake her hair free of the hood, and Akihiko remembered why he'd been looking for Kanji.

"Yu-kun's team has already located Yukari-chan and Junpei-kun," said Fuuka, "You're all clear to head back. Is everyone all right?"

"More or less." He couldn't tell if Mitsuru was embarrassed or disappointed in herself. "Stay alert. Some of the Shadows are capable of inflicting fear."

"We'd noticed that as well." Naoto skirted around the elephant in the room as if she didn't believe in elephants. "The trip back will be much easier." She held up some kind of vial, and when she opened it, everything got unbelievably bright. When the lights dimmed, they were back in the main hub.

Mitsuru was immediately surrounded and dragged off by girls and robots, so Akihiko turned to Naoto and Yu. "What was that – liquid Traesto? That'd be much easier to carry than those slippery gems. Where'd you get that?"

"The Goho-M? Bought 'em," Yu said simply.

It took Akihiko a minute to parse the title, and then he groaned. "Sounds like something Ikutsuki would carry around."

"So, thanks for ditching us in a place that was hazardous to my diet!" Once Yukari was sure Mitsuru was all right, she wasted no time complaining. Then she got a good look at her. "Is that Senpai's cape?"

Anything Mitsuru could say to that would be too humiliating, so her brain opted for something simple: lie. "...No."

Yukari just stared at her. Mitsuru attempted to stare back as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened and she was still completely in control of the situation. It went on for an awkwardly long time until Yukari just gave up. "...okayyy..." Iori had a devious look on his face that Mitsuru chose to ignore for her own sanity. This day simply could not get any worse.

As they exited the TV World in groups of two and three, they assumed Junes was devoid of people until they heard a familiar voice. "So the reports were true – you really can enter a TV here."

"Kurosawa?" Akihiko stood a bit straighter in front of the lieutenant. Out of the corner of her eye, Mitsuru saw Shirogane snap to attention as well. "We already touched base with Dojima a few days ago. Did he call you?"

Kurosawa held up a hand. "Not this time," he said. His tone was gruff and lacked the sentimentality they'd come to expect from their neighborhood officer. "I'm here to speak to Miss Kirijo." Ignoring the others, he gave Mitsuru a once-over before continuing. "You were in Iwatodai this afternoon?"

"Yes." Something was wrong. Kurosawa wouldn't leave his jurisdiction unless he was intervening on her behalf.

"What is your relation to a Noburu Akasofu?"

Mitsuru's chest tightened. "I'd rather not say." Kurosawa had been a valuable ally. She didn't want to think about what kind of enemy he'd be.

"Are you denying that you met with him today?"

"That isn't what you asked me." He also had no idea what having Mitsuru as an enemy would be like.

Akihiko had had enough. "Look, what's this about?"

Again, Kurosawa ignored him. "What I'm asking you to do now is come down to the station. Noburu Akasofu is dead."

* * *

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I feel I should add that Mitsuru didn't know about Yosuke and Chie when she thought she was "eliminating unspoken competition" by keeping Chie from Akihiko. I'm not going into detail with any other couples; just laying the groundwork to see how the audience responds to it.

Do you think Rise kept her fighting ability after Ultimax? I'm just going to go with it. Not sure what element she'd be...I guess she's just a brawler like Shinji.

The definition of "tattoo" I use here is the military version, sort of an elaborate marching band/color guard routine. The music has a uniform beat to it. I just couldn't resist the joke of Akihiko's chest having a *different* kind of tattoo on it.

I have the game-mechanic reason for Fusion Attacks or Dual Attacks (at least one enemy remains after All-Out Attack), but what in-universe reason is there? It seems to be only characters who have or will have history together. Do they just...look at each other one day and it just clicks?

The titles have got to be either Yu's or Margaret's (she's got that weird sense of humor), right? I mean, Naoto wouldn't call herself a "beauty" and she certainly wouldn't call Kanji a "beast"!

I can't seem to find what a Goho-M actually **looks** like, but the P3 cast wouldn't recognize them, anyway.


	16. Capeless Crusader

Here's more Shadowborne. Again, please try to hold off on making guesses in case they happen to be right. I'm sure someone has figured it out by now. I have the ending in mind, but I haven't worked out how to get there yet!

Title is, of course, a play on "caped crusader".

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* * *

Akasofu was dead?

It was quiet enough in the empty Junes to hear the other shoe drop, at last. The way people at the nursing home freaked out when they saw Mitsuru, the receptionist hesitating to hit the intercom button...he must've told the entire home and anyone would listen that Mitsuru was coming to kill him someday. And now he was dead.

Fuck.

Mitsuru hadn't said anything more. Akihiko didn't have to tell her to stay quiet lest she incriminate herself. He did have to remind himself not to tear Kurosawa's head off for even insinuating that Mitsuru was a murderer, though.

The Investigation Team looked a little nervous around a cop – he couldn't blame them, after they watched one descend into madness – so Yu quickly suggested getting back to Nanako. Naoto, however, chose to hang back, and Akihiko was secretly glad that she did. He'd been studying police handbooks, but he wasn't as up on the laws as she was.

Kurosawa continued with absolutely no familiarity in his voice. "At approximately 4:15 pm this afternoon, five of you were seen arriving at the West Paulownia Nursing Home, and then leaving – in a hurry – at 4:25pm. Akasofu was found deceased by his nurse at approximately 6 pm."

"And in the interim?" Naoto spoke up. "How many others had access to Akasofu-san's room?"

Kurosawa had no idea what to make of this little impertinent blue interruption. "Look, kid-"

"Shirogane," Naoto tipped her hat, "Naoto Shirogane."

This sparked at least a hint of recognition. "Well, this case isn't within Inaba's jurisdiction."

"Neither am I, Kurosawa-san. But by all means, please continue."

Now a little perturbed that he wasn't as surrounded by laypeople as he'd initially believed, Kurosawa dropped the bad cop persona. "Look, everyone we interviewed said the exact same thing: Akasofu was obsessed with the idea that Mitsuru Kirijo was coming to get revenge on him someday. He **voluntarily** admitted himself to the home about three years ago upon learning of the deaths of Shuji Ikutsuki and Takeharu Kirijo, because he realized Mitsuru Kirijo was now in control of the Group. Then Mitsuru Kirijo herself comes to visit him out of the blue, stays for **ten minutes,** and then leaves. Does that not sound suspicious to you?"

There wasn't much Akihiko could say without getting into Mitsuru's past, but they had to know what they were up against. "So, how did he die?"

"Looks like a heart attack-"

"Oh, well, there you go – Mitsuru's been breaking hearts since high school. Clearly, she did it. Better arrest her!"

"For killing a dead man," Mitsuru added.

Perhaps Naoto felt guilty since she was the one who found the guy, but she proved that she was worth her salt as she came up with another angle. "If the cause of death is believed to be heart failure," she said, "you'll have a difficult time getting those charges to stick. Unless you can prove Akasofu-san had a weak heart, and that it was common knowledge, then it looks as if Akasofu-san was merely overexcited by Mitsuru-san's appearance, and happened to suffer a heart attack. An understandable consequence, surely, but it barely qualifies as involuntary manslaughter at best."

Kurosawa shook his head. "Akasofu had been living under an assumed name for years. How is it that the one person he was trying to avoid suddenly happens to find him and visit him, only for him to turn up dead two hours later? No other visitors are listed as checking in. There were no fingerprints anywhere, no sign of forced entry, and no sign of a struggle. Preliminary reports so no damage done to the body with a conventional weapon. Either Miss Kirijo is guilty of-" he looked pointedly at Naoto, "-involuntary manslaughter, or someone is doing a damn good job making it look like she is."

"Gee, I wonder who that could be?" Akihiko had lost all his patience. This was the same man who used to sell them weapons? The one reasonable policeman in Iwatodai they could actually trust? Did he actually think Mitsuru did it, or was he trying to discover the truth before Public Safety blew the whole thing out of proportion?

"That's a serious accusation."

Mitsuru spoke up again. "Unlike, say, murder?" She sounded angry, but there was no change in temperature, which meant she was worried.

"C'mon, Kurosawa, you know Public Safety's had it in for Mitsuru this whole time!" Akihiko didn't want to be petty, but he also didn't want Mitsuru having any more nightmares. "It's not like they haven't killed before."

The barb stung as intended. "You think I don't know that? I went to school with that guy."

"If I may ask, Kurosawa-san," Naoto began, and they started to understand why Inaba PD was so annoyed with her, "You suspected Mitsuru-san of murder, were well aware that one of your cadets was closely affiliated with her...yet you came here alone, with no backup?

 **Wow**. Akihiko had never seen Kurosawa so taken aback before. Not even Mitsuru had ever shut him down like that! "Dojima said you were a tenacious little badger," he chuckled. "No, I didn't call for backup, because I was pretty sure I didn't need it. I know there's something about you kids that sets you apart from everyone else, and for years, I've never asked questions. But nothing, not even billions of dollars or some special powers, gives anyone the right to kill a person. This could be the last straw, Miss Kirijo. Public Safety isn't going to just ignore people formerly associated with the Kirijo Group dropping dead of unknown causes. If you know what really happened, you need to tell me before it's out of my hands."

Okay, that made more sense. Kurosawa wanted it to look like everything was under control, and that he wasn't letting Mitsuru run wild on his turf. "They're on your ass for collusion." Akihiko realized, and recognition showed on Naoto's face. If Public Safety removed Kurosawa and replaced him with one of their own, the Shadow Operatives would lose their free rein in Iwatodai.

"It's true," Kurosawa admitted, "They know where you kids were getting your weapons from." He looked at Akihiko and sighed. "Having you around was an even bigger red flag; with all your ties to Kirijo, it looked like she'd planted you there."

Oh, god, he hadn't even thought of that! He'd thought having legal power would be more helpful to Mitsuru than physical power, but he'd screwed it up even worse. Mitsuru had realized it too. He watched as she closed her eyes, shaking her head in disgust. So Public Safety was convinced Mitsuru had the police in her back pocket...thanks to him. How could he possibly make this right for her?

"Are you sure you won't come down to the station?" Kurosawa was asking Mitsuru.

"Actually," Mitsuru replied, "I'd rather change clothes. I've not had the best luck with my wardrobe this month." Well, he'd managed to successfully forget Mitsuru was naked under his cape. That was something, wasn't it? "I will meet with you later, Lieutenant."

Their footsteps echoed in the abandoned store as they solemnly filed out and down to the limo. "I'm sure you're aware of this," Naoto said as she made to head off in the opposite direction, "but I wouldn't volunteer any more information than is actually necessary. If Public Safety is cracking down on Kurosawa-san, then the less he knows, the better."

"I'm aware. Thank you, Shirogane. But please, make sure the others don't breathe a word of this to anyone."

Naoto agreed, and she left for her home while the Operatives headed back to the hotel.

Somehow, this ride topped the one going into Inaba for sheer gloominess. Mitsuru was brooding, twisting the edges of the cape in her hands. When she didn't respond to their calls, the others left her alone, but Akihiko continued to watch her while the guilt ate away at him. Mitsuru had been nothing but supportive of his decision to become a cop. He was going to help people, dammit. Why was it that even when he did the right thing, it was the wrong thing?

"So, uh," Junpei began to say. _Yeah, here it comes. Well, let's get it over with_. "We're just not gonna talk about how Akihiko-san's down one cape, and Mitsuru-senpai's up one?"

" **No** ," Mitsuru replied.

There was a joke to be made, but it was absolutely not the right time to make one. So naturally, Akihiko did. "Looks better on you, anyway."

"Well," Mitsuru smirked, "what doesn't?"

At least she wasn't mad!

When the got to the hotel, everyone sort of awkwardly waited around Mitsuru's room while she put something with less holes on. Labrys took up the silent brooding.

"So I didn't want to say anything in front of the others," Ken began, "but if Akasofu-san was murdered, and Mitsuru-san certainly didn't do it..."

"Then it was Sho-kun." Labrys let the ax fall out of her hands, looking more depressed than a robot ought to be able to.

"Labrys..." Fuuka, as usual, felt bad for her.

Oddly, while Labrys had abandoned her support, Akihiko had begun to have doubts. "It doesn't match up with his earlier actions, though. Minazuki's not smart enough to play the long game. It was his other personality that set up the whole tournament bullshit. The 'Sho' half's plan was just 'Die, Kirijo, Die!'"

Labrys shook her head. "I know, but...he's the only one that coulda done it! You heard what Kurosawa-san said: He wasn't killed with a conventional weapon."

"So, they think someone with a Persona killed him?" asked Yukari.

"And now we're playing Public Safety's favorite game – Witch Hunt 2012." said Junpei.

"How would Minazuki even find out about Mitsuru-san's old doctor?" Ken asked. It was a damn good point. Naoto had to dig through files almost 20 years old, and only managed it by throwing her grandfather's name around. Only one other group would have been able to access that information.

"Guess who?" The longer Akihiko sat, the angrier he got at Public Safety.

"Then Naoto-kun was right about them usin' Sho-kun to do their dirty work." Labrys was right there with him. "But why would he even do it? Does he hate the Kirijo Group that much?"

Just then, Akihiko's phone chimed. "It's Kurosawa," he said. Then his breath abandoned him, and his heart leapt into his throat. _Oh, hell, no. This is not happening!_ He leapt up and charged out of the room.

"Senpai!" Yukari shouted after him, as Koromaru began barking. "What is it?"

"Remember Himura?"

"The friendly scientist?"

"The LATE friendly scientist! He just washed up out of a damn river!"

"Bark!"

"Well then, where are you goin'?" asked Labrys and Koromaru.

Akihiko flung the door open so hard it nearly bounced off its hinges. "I'm gonna find that goddamned kid, and I'm gonna sock him until he either coughs up some answers...or his fucking lungs!" They were too shocked to stop him as he slammed the door.

"He forgot his cape," Aigis observed.

* * *

Mitsuru had been peeling herself out of her shredded catsuit with a moderate degree of success. It was not a quick job, nor was it easy. _Remind me to have the next suit made a size larger._ She tossed the cape onto a chair...and missed, forcing her to pick it up again. It still smelled slightly of Akihiko, which did not help in the least.

 _He'll never forgive me._

Mitsuru knew why Akihiko was so dead-set on becoming a cop. He didn't know that Shinjiro told her how instrumental Kurosawa was in shaping his life and values. He wanted to help people like himself and Amada, and protect others who could not protect themselves. It was a good cause, a noble cause, one that she fully supported and admired.

And her damnable reputation had ruined it.

She had been determined not to interfere in Akihiko's training or help influence the police in any way whatsoever. Akihiko could do this on his own. He was bright and capable, and honorable to a fault. He also had no qualms about taking down criminals who refused to comply. Releasing him from the Shadow Operatives should have made it perfectly clear that she was not buying him a badge. Yet Public Safety was so infuriatingly petty that they would stoop so low as to use Akihiko to get to her! Bastards.

Her phone had gone off, but she'd left it until she managed to get her blouse fully buttoned. Picking it up caused her to stop breathing.

Kurosawa: Tell me who Akira Himura was.

Because he's now driftweed.

Also, Dr. Hayate Tsukuda has gone missing from Inaba Municipal.

All these men have previously worked for Kirijo.

What's going on?

 _No!_ He couldn't possibly believe she was responsible for this! Everything was going as wrong as it could possibly go, much too fast for Mitsuru to deal with.

She must have made a noise of distress or disbelief, because Yukari was poking her head in. "Senpai?"

"This can't be happening." The room had filled with water, and Mitsuru had weights tied to her legs. She just barely managed to collapse on the edge of the bed without falling. Her phone slipped out of her hand and clattered to the floor.

Yukari picked it up. "Akihiko-senpai got a text – you got that too, huh? She couldn't really lift a sunken Mitsuru, but she tried. It would be enough until she got to Akihiko. "What should we do?" The others were staring at her worriedly as well, all...seven of them?

"Where is Akihiko?"

Labrys looked equally distressed. "He's going after Sho-kun. He thinks he knows somethin'."

Why? Why would he leave now, when her entire world was crumbling around her? Was he that upset about the job? Old habits died hard, and Mitsuru's first instinct was to tamp down the feeling of abandonment that loomed over her like another Persona. "Do you?"

She really hadn't expected to hear Labrys say, "I do now." The robot picked her ax up off the floor and weighed it in her hands, staring at it for a long time. "I'm sorry, Mitsuru-san. I just wanted to believe in Sho-kun since nobody else would, ya know?"

"It's all right, Labrys. In spite of everything the Kirijo Group has done to you in the past, you still retain the ability to see the good in people. Minazuki ought to consider himself fortunate to have you as a friend."

"'Cept he doesn't want a friend. He was gonna let the evil voice in his head destroy the whole world for his sake, but he doesn't have time to talk to a toaster?"

Aigis looked scandalized. "Sister!"

Mitsuru tried to smile for her sake. "You asked for nothing in return. Minazuki was raised in an environment where he was denied affection until his task was completed. He can't put his trust in something given freely. It's a horrible way to live."

"So how is Public Safety jerking him around?" asked Iori.

"Ikutsuki?" Yukari's idea made some sense. "I know how I'd feel if I could get more information about my dad. I mean, that's how I awoke to my Persona."

"But would you kill people if somebody promised it to you?" Labrys asked her.

This is where all of their theories and ideas fell short. Was Minazuki responsible for the murders, or the kidnappings? Both? Which of these was Public Safety's idea, and just what **were** they giving him in return? It was quickly becoming too much for even Mitsuru's mind to comprehend.

"If Akasofu-san and Himura-san are dead, and Tsukuda-san is missing," Amada ticked off the scientists on his fingers, "Is there anyone left out of the scientists that Naoto-san found?"

"Aigis, the list?" Mitsuru had specifically requested that Shirogane read the names she'd found to Aigis, rather than keep a hard copy where someone could find it.

Aigis cocked her head slightly and replied, "The last name on the list is Tokei."

"Tokei," echoed Mitsuru, "I rather liked her."

"Well, you'll never get to tell her if we don't warn Kurosawa-san!" said Labrys. She made to leave, but Mitsuru had to stop her.

"I'm going alone, Labrys. We have no real proof that Minazuki or Public Safety is behind any of this, and I don't need you giving Kurosawa the impression that we know more than we're revealing to him."

"But-"

"I need you to find Akihiko." Every bone in Mitsuru's body wanted to trade tasks. Akihiko was out there somewhere, enraged and not thinking clearly. Who knew what he would do for her sake! "Contrary to popular belief, the Shadow Operatives – past **and** present – are not murdering people."

* * *

In a cramped apartment in Osaka, a woman hurried through the room wearing one high-heeled shoe and cursing her hair. As she struggled with an obstinate earring in front of her bathroom mirror, the ringing of the doorbell caused her to drop the back down the drain. "Damn! He's early!" When hobbling proved impossible, she removed the shoe and sprinted to the door. "Hiro? We did say seven-"

But the person at the door was not her date. They pushed their way into the apartment, their hands reaching for the woman's neck.

"What are you...no! NOOOO!"

* * *

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I've looked it up, and apparently it is VERY hard to prove that someone was deliberately murdered via heart attack.

Also, now would be a good time to point out that Mitsuru wears gloves with her Arena outfit, so she wouldn't have left fingerprints. Of course, that also looks very suspicious if you're out to get her.

Collusion is illegal cooperation between parties, like the Shadow Operatives and the Iwatodai Police Department. Kurosawa has been selling SEES weapons for years. He knows they're capable of doing things the police aren't, and he lets it go because they are mostly law-abiding. If Public Safety suspects that he's letting Mitsuru kill people and looking the other way, they could replace him with someone who has no ties to the Kirijo Group and takes no shit. Dojima could face the same problem now that he knows all about Personas - if not for the fact that Adachi made all of that sound like delusions he was having while murdering people.


	17. A Light in the Darkness

Wow, my first semi-smut. (Be gentle...)

I'll be posting longer chapters now because all the dominoes I set up in earlier chapters are going to fall at the same time.

The biggest roadblock I've had with this fanfic is that Shadows didn't talk in P3 (except possibly love hotel?), some of them talked in P4, boss Shadows talked in Q, and they all can talk in P5. Is it evolution? Mitsuru seemed surprised the Queen of Hearts talked in PQ. Do you at least need Potential? The IT talked to their Shadows before awakening...but SEES had Potential, too, and their Shadows never talked to them. UGH. I'm just going to go with those other Shadows spoke human language on purpose, and only innocent kids can understand "Shadow Speak", how's that? The reason they understand Teddie is that he learned to speak human to be more like them, like Meowth from the Pokemon anime.

Thanks for listening. Carry on.

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* * *

In spite of his insistence on the meeting, Kurosawa did not show up at the police department. Akihiko had not answered anyone's text messages, and Shirogane and the others were busy with school. With the other Operatives getting back to their own lives, Mitsuru was left alone with her dangerous thoughts.

As far as she'd been concerned, the ex-Ergo scientists were officially dead. There was no need to traumatize herself further by acknowledging their existence; she had enough problems as it was. What Mitsuru was most bothered by was the fact that she had been lied to. Just how many things went on within the Kirijo Group that she wasn't aware of? Father had systematically removed any men he found loyal to his father, and Mitsuru had taken up that job upon his death. When she stepped down as acting CEO, it was with the assurance that the sins of the past would be put behind them. Had she been wrong?

A groan startled her. Kurosawa had appeared at last, staggering in through the door, and he was clutching his head. "Well, that was fun," he grumbled. Noticing Mitsuru, he added, "I suppose you're going to tell me you've been here the entire time?"

"For the past hour," Mitsuru replied, checking her phone.

"Yeah, I know you were. Don't actually think you could've hit that hard."

"Are you all right, Lieutenant?"

"Funny you should ask. I just got clocked by a murderer."

So they were too late to save Tokei. Mitsuru silently apologized to the one scientist that had been faintly sympathetic. "Am I to assume you believed me to be responsible for this one as well?"

"Etsuko Tokei."

"Damn."

"The fact that you don't seem surprised worries me."

"We don't have time for feigning surprise, Lieutenant. The fact that several Ergo scientists have now died twice is seriously disturbing – and someone is pinning their murders on me."

"Well, you didn't do this one." Kurosawa plopped down on a chair and used a soda can as a makeshift ice pack. "At least, not by yourself. The person we caught hightailing it out of Tokei's apartment doesn't match your build. I fell for the old elevator trick, and they came out of nowhere and lobbed a vase at my head." He groaned again. "I'm also fairly certain you wouldn't have hit me."

"Would you prefer something colder?" Mitsuru asked him, "And perhaps a little first aid?"

"See, now there's the thing," Kurosawa put down his can, waving off her offer, "If the murderer was actually a Persona-user, why would they settle for clumsy, detectable methods like drowning or strangulation?" He may have noticed Mitsuru's involuntary shudder, but didn't mention it. "None of these murders strike me as being ordered and planned out by a well-connected heiress. It's the last-minute work of a panicked amateur."

"A panicked amateur who just so happened to stumble upon four disappeared persons once connected to the Kirijo Group?" Something in the back of Mitsuru's mind was giving off strong signals that she just couldn't ignore. "Now that I think about it – how **did** you happen to know their true identities? That information was so well-hidden that I wasn't even aware of it."

"I'd say the same way you did." Uh oh. "Your buddies down at Public Safety noticed that someone was doing some digging into the '99 incident, and decided to do a little _**detecting**_ of their own. How long have you known about the disappeared scientists?"

So the jig was up. This was not something Mitsuru wanted to discuss without her buffer friend, but it was beginning to look like she didn't have much of a choice. "Not long. A week at best." She caught herself rubbing her wrists and made a conscious effort to start squeezing the arm of the chair instead. "Tsukuda worked at the hospital in Inaba. I wasn't expecting to meet him there."

"What's his relationship to you?"

"I'd...rather not say." _Where_ _ **are**_ _you, Akihiko?_

Another officer came into the station with no idea what he was interrupting. "More kidnappings, Kurosawa," he announced.

Kurosawa rolled his eyes. "Dammit, if it's not one thing, it's another! Why does it seem like I'm the only one doing any police work around here? You get that paperwork filed?"

"New guy was supposed to be on that," the officer muttered as he headed off into a back room.

Kurosawa's concussion seemed to have worn off as he finally noticed something. "Where is Sanada, anyway? He hasn't answered any of my messages."

 _Hopefully not committing our first murder._ "I've sent him on a very important mission."

"I don't suppose you want to say what that's about, either." Mitsuru shook her head. "Look, I'm not happy with Public Safety busting up my department, either, but everything you kids are doing is making you look guiltier: looking up these scientists, removing the guy suspected of being a plant right after finding out he's suspected of being a plant, working with the detective that's supposed to be investigating you. You're supposed to be **cooperating** with Public Safety, not conspiring against them!"

"And I suppose having me investigated in the first place isn't dirty pool?" Mitsuru snapped. "Public Safety only cooperates with the Shadow Operatives on paper because of their petulant need to pull the strings." The temperature in the station dropped low enough to provide ice packs for 6 officers. "I am no longer a puppet."

"We need to solve these murders."

"Yes, surely that will comfort the parents of those missing children."

Kurosawa flinched from both the statement and the returning pain in his skull. "The entire department is out there looking for those kids. At this point, I don't even want to think about what we're going to find. If you know anything about that, I'd advise you to tell me now before you get blamed for those, too."

"No. The one lead we thought we had went cold. I'm beginning to think the kidnappings have nothing to do with Personas." At least she could sigh without feeling Akihiko's eyes on her. "I'm ashamed to say that I'd forgotten about them. It's been a very emotional week."

Finally, concern began to show on Kurosawa's face. "Yeah, you look as bad as I feel. Uh...sorry about your party. It was Sanada's idea – he was worried sick about you." He stopped for a moment, and a thought occurred to him. "Was that his cape you were wearing?"

"Oh, not you as well!" Mitsuru moaned. She might never manage to live this one down.

* * *

The accursed cape was waiting for her when she returned home, though its master had not once texted her about reclaiming it. The trace on his phone revealed that he was still in Japan, though he hadn't used any data in the last 6 hours. The least he could have done was checked in with a burner phone! Mitsuru had been hoping in vain that Akihiko had finally grown out of his impetuousness, or at the very least knew when to switch it off. He'd been such a different man this month, consoling and protecting her. Why didn't he realize she needed him now?

Kikuno brought her tea and sympathy. "Have you eaten yet, Milady?"

"I'm too exhausted to even drink, Kikuno, but thank you."

"No word from Akihiko-san?"

Mitsuru shook her head. Kikuno was one of the few people not torturing her with leering expressions at the mention of her friend – FRIEND, damn it.

"Naoto-san inquired about you this evening," Kikuno was saying, "She has returned your fur, and wishes to speak to you as soon as possible about a Nanako Dojima."

"Somehow I doubt she's the murderer. Thank you, Kikuno, that will be all."

Something appeared to be bothering Kikuno still. "Milady? Would you have done it?"

"Hmm?"

"If you had the opportunity to...do away with Tsukuda-san and the others...would you?"

The frightening part was that this was not the first time it had crossed Mitsuru's mind. She had certainly wished that vile man hadn't crawled out from under his rock at a time when she was already having personal and legal problems, and it would have been nice if he would just disappear...but she had no right to pull the trigger herself! Mitsuru's Kirijo Group advocated philanthropy, cooperation. Honesty. They were not a Mafia!

Kikuno, however, had been acting strangely ever since she found out about Tsukuda. Her experiences in the lab were brief; she was a "failure", but managed to survive the tests and become one of the Group's wards before officially starting as Mitsuru's maid when she came of age. Kikuno would do almost anything for Mitsuru. Mitsuru never wanted to know where the line was drawn.

"I could never live with myself if I took a life," Mitsuru answered, "I'd be no better than they were. The Group has played god for far too long."

Kikuno had turned away when Mitsuru spoke. "Of course, Milady," she said quietly, "Good night."

Mitsuru suddenly had a strong feeling that she shouldn't drink the tea.

* * *

The moon was the only gauzy source of light through the window, but it was all she needed. She could navigate this glorious body with her eyes closed. Indeed, her eyes were closed as she adjusted herself over that warm, magnificent girth. Oh, he _**was**_ enjoying this, wasn't he? Yes, he was.

A small, coquettish moan escaped her as she let her hands roam the contours of the chest she'd lusted after for years. They'd both waited so very, very long for this. Too long. The scent of him was driving her mad. She was starving, and she couldn't resist one...little...taste.

The finest leather awaited her as she trailed kisses from his neck down to his stomach. So firm! So... _delicious_. The texture was like nothing she'd ever experienced, and she cooed with pride as she made him shudder with one slow, torturous flicker of her tongue. _Mmmmmmm..._

Dare she move lower?

The decision was made for her as powerful hands gripped her hair and used it to lift her head with a tug that sent shockwaves through her body and straight down to the throbbing hollow between her legs. Satisfied that she'd gotten the message, he moved to claim the sinful little mouth that had been teasing him. With his free hand, he removed the one barrier between propriety and pleasure – the cape. Now **he** was in control.

She didn't feel exposed – more like revealed. He was the only one who deserved this intimate showing, and he took his time savoring it before reversing their positions. Muscular thighs pinned her to the bed, his heat searing her skin. So dangerously forbidden. She'd surely burn, and yet, she couldn't care less. It was her turn to shudder and gasp as he mimicked her actions; one curious finger traced a path of burgeoning delight. Slowly. Gently. When his mouth replaced it, she was unprepared for the intensity of the desire dancing all over her. Words had escaped her until now, and she spoke for the first time since coupling.

"Akihiko!"

Mitsuru sat straight up in bed, panting, sweat dripping off of her as if she'd actually been exposed to fire. Her stomach was swimming, and something was surely about to surface. She managed to flail her way out of the bedclothes and stumble into the bathroom before collapsing by the toilet, shaking. What had she done? What had she DONE? Akihiko had been taking such good care of her all this time, when he didn't even have to, and THIS is how she repays him? _**Perversion?**_

Splashing water on her face did nothing to calm the inferno inside her. Images flashed in her mind each and every time she closed her eyes, so she forced them open. Was she really that pale, wretched woman gaping at her in the mirror? The one who clearly did not deserve such a dependable companion? Perhaps it was to her advantage after all that Akihiko had gone off somewhere, for there was no way she could face him now.

His cape was the first thing her watery eyes focused on when she returned to her room, as if to mock her. Somehow, it still smelled of him. That smell had been so reassuring to her, an unmistakable reminder that she wasn't alone. She hadn't realized just how much she missed it until faint echoes of it were all that she had left. The tears fell unbidden as she clutched the cape to her breast.

 _I don't deserve you...but I need you._

* * *

Mitsuru was beginning to make a habit out of meeting with Shirogane after an erotic episode (which weirded her out in more ways than one). Still, it couldn't be helped. There was business to attend to, and Shirogane was just the sort of no-nonsense person Mitsuru needed to snap her out of it. She clearly needed to be at the top of her game if she was to match wits with the Detective Prince. It had been quite a few years since she'd had a challenge, and she had to admit it was sort of fun.

Unfortunately, the Shirogane that entered the limo was not at full capacity herself. "Sorry for meeting this way. Grampa has an important conference call this afternoon."

"Of course. I'm sure he's had enough of the Shadow Operatives for one lifetime." She couldn't help but notice Shirogane gazing wistfully out the window as they drove to a more secure location. It was almost as if she didn't quite know how to begin, which even Mitsuru could tell was rare for the girl. "Thank you for returning my coat, by the way. Kikuno would have stopped speaking to me altogether had I lost it."

"I can imagine. Nanako-chan was quite taken with it, until Kanji-kun convinced her it was worth more than her father's house."

Mitsuru raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't have pegged Tatsumi as a fur enthusiast."

This seemed to break Shirogane out of her funk, as she turned to Mitsuru with bright eyes. "Oh, Kanji-kun is a second-generation tailor with an incredible eye for quality. He was able to completely replicate the stitching after just one examination of the coat's lining." Her face lit up, and the smile she wore could have only been made by hand as well. "When I left him, he was quite confident he could even imitate the texture of the fur with a bit of fleece. I haven't seen him this excited about a project since the dolls – forgive me," she chuckled, "I seem to have gotten a bit carried away." An entirely different girl now sat on the edge of her seat, beaming with pride and a dusting of blush. She was alive suddenly.

It made Mitsuru feel incredibly jealous.

"Anyway, while we were discussing your coat, Nanako-chan made an observation."

"Am I still scary?"

"Quite the contrary. During the Junes incident, she'd been surprised to find an adult like you both listening to and believing her. In spite of not seeing Ikutsuki-san's footage, she realized – on her own – that you had heard the Shadows as a child as well." Shirogane paused, and an uneasy look passed over her face. "She couldn't help but feel sorry for you."

Mitsuru had no choice but to smile. To think a small girl could grant an intimidating stranger some empathy in the midst of her own crisis. Why were children so much better at these sort of things?

The limousine had stopped at the same junkyard they'd first set foot into two weeks ago. Amazingly, the large screen that was their first entrance into the TV World was still there. "I must admit, I am curious as to what these Shadows have been telling her," said Mitsuru as they watched the sun set over a tower of debris. "Has she mentioned anything to you?"

"I'm afraid not. Senpai doesn't want to cause her any more stress." That made sense. "Why don't you ask her about it?"

Mitsuru blanched. "I would think our previous encounters would have demonstrated that I'm not very adept at dealing with small children. I don't even know any children! Amada wasn't exactly a child when we met." It wasn't an excuse. Mitsuru had never been like her peers as a child – unless the fellow experiments could be considered her peers. Her school career was more important. Playing games would only cut into time that could be spent studying. No one spoke to her as they would to a child, because she wasn't a child. She was a Kirijo. It never bothered her because she was so intent on making her father proud of her and training her Persona. At times like these, however, it left her without the social skills necessary to deal with actual people outside of the business world.

"I believe you might have more in common with Nanako-chan than you think. This isn't her first encounter with Shadows," said Shirogane, and it finally occurred to her to tell Mitsuru just why Narukami had such a complex, and why Dojima was furious when Adachi was brought up in front of his daughter. At one point, Mitsuru may have forgotten how to breathe as she hung on the younger girl's every word. There were certainly tears in her eyes. A tiny person with no Potential, trapped in a Shadow's nest for hours, gaslighted by horrible creatures no one but her could understand? Mitsuru could barely make it through one session against a Plume of Dusk!

"What a courageous child...I...I don't understand how on Earth she was even revived!"

"The same way most miracles work, I suppose – the beneficence of a god; in this case, Izanami." Shirogane herself seemed a bit shaken by her tale. "If we had done the foolhardy thing, and disposed of Namatame-san, perhaps we would not have been so lucky." She found her resolve once again, and added, "Which is why we need to find these other children as quickly as possible."

"There is one avenue we haven't yet explored – and I'd hoped to avoid it, truthfully," said Mitsuru. In truth, it had only occurred to her recently, after the TV World turned up empty. "There aren't many places a Shadow can hide a human being – at least, not in this dimension."

Shirogane caught on right away. "The Dark Hour?"

"Remember Yamagishi's story? Tartarus only existed during the Dark Hour – we could have been standing right on top of her in the school gym and we'd never have known it."

"Yes, but according to the reports I read, the Dark Hour vanished after-"

"Officially, yes." No need to bring up that painful incident. "However, the Kirijo Group has ways of artificially recreating a Dark Hour for research purposes." That sounded incredibly suspect even to Mitsuru in spite of it being mostly true.

"Research purposes?" echoed Shirogane skeptically.

"Research purposes." insisted Mitsuru with her face as blank as humanly possible. _Game on, I suppose. I_ did _come looking for a challenge._

Shirogane folded. "Very well. As luck would have it, it just so happens to be Dojima-san's birthday tomorrow, and we have all been tasked with helping Nanako-chan throw a party at Junes. If you just so happened to come by-"

"So now **I'm** the party crasher," Mitsuru chuckled. She certainly didn't need Public Safety's help to vilify herself.

The rest of the day seemed to go by in a blur after that. Mitsuru sat through meetings and conference calls, but her heart and mind were miles away. She sat at the table with her hand on her phone, but it never buzzed. Labrys had not found Akihiko. Aigis had not found Akihiko, or Labrys for that matter. Worse, not one person she was forced to talk to that day seemed to realize that anything was off, or that Mitsuru desperately needed her world to right itself. She was so very much alone.

She ate but didn't taste, stared at several books but failed to read them, and if the water in her shower was hot, she never noticed. By the time she gave up and went to bed, the moon was there to mock her. _You won in the end, didn't you, you all-encompassing bitch? We saved the world, and it abandoned us. I have no father, no confidant, and no one to call home. Despair always wins in the end._

When sleep finally came, it brought with it stark white nightmares and deep blue desires.

* * *

Wednesday would have merged right into the rest of the week had it not been for the arrival of text messages at last. Yamagishi had detected Caesar. Mitsuru felt certain that she could find enough sympathetic knife-wielding people to keep him from moving any farther away. The robots had managed to meet up, and were hot on his trail. Narukami had returned to Tokyo, where he'd first ran into Minazuki, hoping to intercept him.

 _And yet, the sun still rises._

The other messages, Mitsuru noticed with wry amusement, were from Shirogane. How someone so eloquent in speech could be so blunt in text baffled her. It reminded her of something Iori often complained about...limited messaging?

PARTY CNCLD. DS WRKNG L8

Hmm. Mitsuru remembered all too well how it felt when Father couldn't attend one of her events as promised. Her heart went out to Nanako. There were only so many "maybe next times" to be had before it was too late.

ON NC DUTY WED AS PER NRM

COME ANYWAY Y/N?

Well, now where was Iori when she needed him? Surely he spoke...cell phone? Mitsuru texted back:

 **I'll try to set aside some time.**

Then she put the matter aside before Shirogane gave her a headache.

Aside from that one glimmer of hope, the rest of the day was bleak. Mitsuru waded through work barely caring if she'd offended anyone or made wrong decisions, then spontaneously decided to take the afternoon off. She wasn't so spaced out that she didn't hear several people sigh and mutter, "thank god!" under their breath though. Being at work in diluted form wasn't helping anyone.

The motorcycle was out; Mitsuru was too spacey to pay attention to where she was going. The limo came with its usual problems. In the end, Mitsuru just had the driver park in their reserved spot with the rest of the garbage and she walked to Junes, which wasn't far.

Spring in a small town was actually quite pretty. If the majority of these businesses hadn't closed down, Inaba's main strip could possibly rival Paulownia Mall. Walking by the shrine made Mitsuru feel as if she was being watched, so she hurried on – right into a crack in the sidewalk. Fortunately, the loud snap she heard was not her leg, but her heel.

"Damn it!"

"Miss? Are you in need of any assistance?" An elderly woman seemed to appear out of nowhere while Mitsuru was cursing her foolishness.

"I'm sorry, it's just...no, it serves me right for wandering around in heels not looking where I was going." Now that she took a closer look, Mitsuru could see that the woman had come out of the building in front of her, in the process of beating dust out of a rug.

The woman was also staring at Mitsuru, and she suddenly gasped. "Could it be...? Oh, my, where are my manners? Good afternoon, Kirijo-san!"

Being recognized wasn't a shock, but the nostalgic look of affection in the woman's eyes was. "Have we met before?"

"No, dear. It's simply that you look exactly like her. I grew up in Kyoto, you see, and my dear friend Hanae-chan and I would often dream about being whisked away by some handsome prince. Imagine our surprise when she actually was!" She laughed.

"You knew my mother?"

"We've written so many letters to each other over the years. She couldn't wait to tell me how after years of trying, she finally had a little girl!"

This was too much to take in on top of Mitsuru's already fragile state. Her mother had trouble conceiving? No one talked about Mother after she left them, and she wasn't there to commiserate with when Mitsuru was growing up and going through puberty. She'd never known her mother as a woman. It was a loss she'd compartmentalized and forgotten about until now.

The woman seemed to realize this. "Why don't you come inside and have a cup of tea? I seem to have made myself too much; I must be getting old. If my son were here, I'm sure he could fix that heel of yours, but he's out at the moment."

Something clicked in Mitsuru's mind finally. "I would very much love a cup of tea...Tatsumi-san, isn't it? I've heard your son is quite the skilled tailor – though I must admit, it came as a bit of a surprise after meeting him."

The storefront – now that she'd finally noticed it said Tatsumi Textiles above the door, way to be observant, Mitsuru – had a door in the back leading to a humble living room and kitchen. Tatsumi-san brought out a tray laden with tea and even some small pastries, as if she'd been hoping someone would join her. "Yes, my son has his eccentricities. But tell me, how did you happen to meet my Kanji?"

The truth would be traumatizing, but luckily, Mitsuru had a convenient half-truth. "Shirogane," she said, "I've been working with her on a case, and she mentions him quite frequently."

"Ah, Naoto-kun. The dear girl works so hard, but she still takes the time to pop in for a visit every now and then." Tatsumi-san smiled. "Of course, she isn't just here to see me. I suspect Kanji is spending time with her now, in fact."

"Awfully strange bedfellows, aren't they?" Mitsuru mused – and then realized she'd unwittingly put the idea of her son having sex into the poor woman's head. _Perhaps I need a stronger drink!_ "I don't know if you've heard much from her lately, but Mother has been quite ill. Father's loss has been hard on all of us."

"The poor thing always was sickly. I was supposed to visit her one year, shortly after she married your father, but when I arrived, she was abroad for her health." Tatsumi-san chuckled to herself as she went somewhere warm and wistful. "Oh, don't look like that – it was while I was waiting for her that I met my husband! He was quite the card in those days; used to claim that the entire island was his. 'It's called Tatsumi, see?' I think I was naive enough to actually believe him, until I met the man who **actually** owned the island. I don't think he anticipated that!" She sighed. "I don't get out very much these days, I'm afraid. I was sorry to hear about your loss, Kirijo-san."

Mitsuru was already reaching for her phone to text Kikuno about a car. "Please call me Mitsuru. I can't begin to thank you for your kindness, but I can certainly try."

The door slammed open, and then closed much quieter, meaning Tatsumi and Shirogane had returned, and Mitsuru needed to quickly come up with a reason to be sitting in their living room.

"So I was correct – those are indeed Mitsuru-san's boots," Shirogane declared.

"Ma? What the hell's goin' on?" Tatsumi was rightfully confused, but presumably not belligerent in front of his mother.

"We have a guest, Kanji." If Tatsumi was embarrassed by her son's behavior, she didn't show it. In fact, she seemed to accept this as commonplace. "I understand you know Mitsuru-san? I was just telling her that I'm sure you'll be able to fix her boot heel – you know how my hands don't work like they used to. She's come all this way to talk with Naoto-kun, and we can't have her falling and hurting herself. Inaba has such a sour reputation as it is, what with all those murders-"

"All right, ALL RIGHT, ya old bag! Jeez, dry up already! I'll fix the damn heel. Why you gotta start shit with me the moment I walk through the door?"

" **Don't you talk to your mother that way!** " Mitsuru may have been barefoot, but Tatsumi was the one shivering as she leapt to her feet. To think that this brash, loudmouthed punk had been birthed from such a gentle soul! It seemed ludicrous.

"GAH! Oh, okay, okay...uh, thank you, Mother, I will do that thing you asked me to do. I, uh, love ya." He fled. Mitsuru immediately felt guilty for overstepping her boundaries until she heard Tatsumi-san laugh.

"Oh, my! I've never been called 'Mother' before! I believe that's a first!" Tatsumi-san's eyes were bright, and a glimpse of the young woman she once had been was visible. "How lucky am I that no one has repaired that crack in the pavement!" She followed her son, still giggling.

"I assure you, Mitsuru-san, Kanji-kun does love his mother dearly," Shirogane explained, "He just...has difficulties showing it. Still, why are you here at his home, of all places? I assumed you'd be meeting with me at Junes."

"I got distracted trying to parse your rather quixotic text message." Shirogane lowered her hat. Mitsuru was equally embarrassed to admit that she'd tripped like an idiot, so she decided to let it slide. "Were you at Junes?"

"Actually, no, I was on my way to the Dojima residence. It is Wednesday, after all, meaning it's my designated day to look in on Nanako-chan." Ah – _Nanako Chan DUTY AS PER NoRMal._ Why not just say as much? "Kanji-kun needed to stop off at home for a gift he'd made for Dojima-san before accompanying me. I don't suppose you would like to come as well?"

"I'm not sure Dojima would like that...but I've certainly overstayed my welcome here. Yes, I suppose I will."

They passed Tatsumi and his mother and Mitsuru was delighted to reclaim her boot with its heel looking as if it hadn't been broken at all. "It should hold for a lot longer so long as you don't put too much weight on it," Tatsumi said proudly.

"Thank you both. I will definitely see to it that Mother contacts you, Tatsumi-san."

"I hope you've been calling her often?"

"O-Oh, yes. Every week." Time to escape. "Good evening."

Neither teen thought to tease her about that as they made their way to the Dojimas. They seemed more preoccupied with a private matter, so Mitsuru just followed them quietly while taking extra care to mind her footsteps.

The Dojima house was small and nondescript, which could be said for any of these houses, really, but it offered a certain charm in spite of the lack of a Mrs. Dojima – or perhaps that was now Nanako, who was forlornly removing laundry from a clothesline, her shoulders much too sunken for a child.

"Nanako-chan, do you need any help?" Shirogane called to her.

"Oh, Naoto-kun! And Mist – I mean, Kanji-kun! I'm sorry the party got canceled."

"Hey, it ain't your fault, so cut it out with that sh...shtuff." Tatsumi made more of a conscious effort to tone down his attitude with Nanako than he had with his own mother. The softer tone of voice was jarring coming from the boy with a skull-print shirt and nose ring. "All right? You just toss that laundry over here. Didya have any supper?"

Mitsuru just shook her head. "If I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes, I'd never have believed it."

"Oh!" Nanako finally noticed her and blushed. "Um...thank you very much for letting me use your coat, M-Miss Mitsuru-san!" She bowed quickly, as if she wasn't sure she was doing it right. "It was very warm and comfy."

"It was no trouble at all, Nanako. I'm glad you liked it."

"Your father would be proud of your manners, Nanako-chan," Shirogane assured her.

Nanako just sighed. It nearly broke Mitsuru's heart. As they moved into the tiny foyer to (carefully) remove their shoes, she decided it made as good a segue as any. "You know," she began, "my father was often away when I was a child. Sometimes, he was too busy for even a phone call. I used to wonder if he even remembered he had a daughter at all."

Sure enough, Nanako's empathetic nature surfaced. "Oh, sure he did! He was just busy with work, that's all. He'd never forget you!"

"I suppose he wouldn't." It was much too easy for Mitsuru to slip into a younger mindset. "Although it was very hard to remember that when I was alone. Sometimes, I would find myself getting angry."

"Did..." This new idea was liberating to the young girl. "Did you think that...he loved his job more than you?"

The race for who was going to cry first had started. "Sometimes I felt that he didn't love me at all." whispered Mitsuru.

Something warm was on her lap. She'd sat down on a cushion without realizing it, and Nanako had drawn closer. Out of the corner of her eye, Mitsuru saw Shirogane come into the room, assess the situation, and shove Tatsumi back into the kitchen, shushing him.

Nanako's voice was even quieter as she timidly asked, "Did they tell you that, too?"

And there it was. Shadows could not seize upon fears that weren't already there. How long they had been festering, she didn't know – but she could not sit idly by and let this happen! This is what the Shadow Operatives were created for...to undo whatever evil had been done.

"That's what Shadows are," Mitsuru said, gazing around the living room. There was one small altar tucked away in a corner with the only family photograph in the house. "Every horrible feeling you've ever had; fear, anger, sadness, jealousy – hoping that you'll join them. But you mustn't, you **cannot** listen to them, Nanako! All they can give you are lies."

This seemed to resonate with Nanako, and she nodded. "Everybody told me my mom went to Heaven. It's a pretty place with flowers and clouds. I wanted to go there, too. I was all alone here," she explained, "They said they'd take me there. It looked just like I thought it would, but I couldn't find my mom anywhere."

Mitsuru cut her off. "Oh, that wasn't Heaven, darling, it was just an illusion." Nanako's loneliness was palpable. Her dungeon still stood, and it was the most tempting sight Mitsuru had ever seen. She wept for little motherless Nanako, little fatherless Mitsuru, and a classroom of heartbroken children wishing they were anywhere else instead of the hell they had been dragged to. The hell she had to find and destroy for good. "There won't be a single Shadow in Heaven when you get there someday." She found herself smoothing back Nanako's hair the way her mother used to.

The way Akihiko did now.

"When I...died...I thought I would see her. But I was all alone then, too. There weren't any flowers. Just the fog." The television that had been playing in the background was now running a Junes commercial with its ever-present jingle. "I could see Junes through the fog, and I knew that's where everyone was, so I tried to get there, too! I ran and ran, but I could never make it. I couldn't get to Junes, and I couldn't find Mom."

Someone was sniffling, and Mitsuru found to her amusement that it was Tatsumi.

"And then, I heard Teddie."

"Teddie?" Had she discovered the truth about him already? How could Mitsuru tell the child that Teddie was a Shadow when she had just assured her that Shadows were pure evil?

"Mm-hmm! And Big Bro...everyone! Their voices made the fog go away!" Shirogane had said that the doctors could not explain Nanako's "miraculous recovery", but it sounded for all the world like the Lost victims regaining their will after Nyx's resealing. "Then I woke up in the hospital."

It was a story straight out of a movie, only this one had a happy ending. The Shadow Operatives had plenty of experience keeping bedside vigils in the hospital, clinging to fragile hopes. It never got any easier.

The teens came out of the kitchen with a surprisingly appetizing looking array of food. "You guys seriously need some new pans," Tatsumi grumbled, "I mean, I made do, but I had to use way too much oil. You should think about getting nonstick pans."

"Kanji-kun...Nanako-chan is seven," Shirogane reminded him.

"Well, I should take my leave. It's getting late; you shouldn't stay up very long on a school night." Mitsuru got up and headed towards the door, but Nanako attached herself to the corner of her blouse.

"Oh, couldn't you stay for supper?" she pleaded.

Such tiny little hands, yet they clung to her with the strength of a thousand bonds. Mitsuru looked down and found herself enraptured by big, cocoa-colored eyes that trembled with the familiar fear of being abandoned. The little girl in her was overjoyed at the idea of making a friend, and her smile was heartbreakingly happy. "I...suppose..." she decided, forgetting for a moment that Shirogane and Tatsumi were witnessing a side of her she'd never shown anyone.

Now much lighter, Nanako turned to the food. "Oh! I love omelets!" she cried.

"Did you actually make all of this, Tatsumi?" A treasured memory tickled its way into Mitsuru's mind, and she couldn't help but smirk.

"What, you got a problem with that!?"

"Oh, no! Quite the contrary, in fact. You remind me of an old friend. Ha...the last person you'd expect to be a talented chef." Once again, Mitsuru had admit to misjudging a gruff yet nurturing soul. The omelet was superb.

Nanako had been chewing thoughtfully, and perked up at the mention of chefs. "Big Bro made me an omelet once. It was really good! And the girls made some, too! But...um..."

"Yeah, they sucked," said Tatsumi.

Shirogane was quick with the "Kanji-kun!" Oh, this was some expertly crafted nostalgia Mitsuru had been served.

"Rise-chan's omelet was really spicy," Nanako continued, "and Yukiko-chan's omelet didn't have any taste at all. And Chie-chan's...um...she tried really hard!"

Mitsuru couldn't resist quipping, "Are you sure it wasn't supposed to be porridge?" No one seemed to get the joke.

"None of the girls we know can cook," Nanako giggled. "Except Naoto-kun, maybe?"

"I merely assisted the others with an actual recipe in hand," replied Shirogane. "I'll admit, I'm not much of a cook on my own."

"Can you cook, Mitsuru-san?" asked Tatsumi.

"Er...well, no. I've never actually tried. Not that I've never needed to – all of my meals were prepared by our servants."

Nanako's eyes grew as big as saucers. "You have servants? Wow!" Then she gasped. "Do you live in a castle? Are you a princess?" The poor thing looked so excited that Mitsuru was almost afraid to tell her the truth.

"I would have said Empress, but that's a long story," a voice from the foyer added.

"Oh, hi, Big Bro!"

Narukami had snarkily entered the house, observing the situation with a sly grin. "Did I miss the party?"

"No. Dad's at work."

"It's getting very late," Mitsuru observed, "How often does Dojima leave his small child alone after dark?" Her father may have worked long hours, but he'd left a small army of people to keep Mitsuru safe. Nanako had already been kidnapped once! They were very fortunate to have an armed Shirogane and muscular Tatsumi on retainer tonight.

"Well, I'm here now." Narukami had already settled in at the head of the table as if he were accustomed to acting as the man of the house. "Thanks for keeping Nanako company, everyone."

"Did you find what you were looking for, Big Bro?" asked Nanako, and Mitsuru realized that she'd forgotten the mission in the midst of all this emotional upheaval.

"No," said Narukami, looking Mitsuru in the eye, "not a trace." How could one boy be so elusive? It was all up to the robots now.

For someone who was in such a hurry to leave a few minutes ago, Mitsuru found herself stalling. The only thing she had waiting for her at home was distress. "I really should be going," she said, using a bow to avoid looking into Nanako's eyes. "But thank you so much for your gracious hospitality. It's rare that I get to enjoy a pleasant meal with such a charming hostess." Nanako giggled like mad, and Narukami was split between affection for her and a hundred unasked questions for Mitsuru.

"Well, at least let me see you out, as any good host would." Narukami followed her to the door. The cornstalks in the garden next-door looked sinister in the moonlight. "Nanako seems to have gotten attached to you," He declared with a touch of cloaked envy.

"She's absolutely darling." Mitsuru allowed herself one smile before turning deadly serious. "I'm sure Shirogane will fill you in on what we discussed, but Minazuki or no Minazuki, we have to move, and we have to move now." This little detour had renewed her determination. "No one else is going to die for the Kirijo name." She eyed him cautiously. "Do I have your support?"

"Of course." Narukami was shrewd. He seemed to realize Mitsuru was proposing something dangerously risky - her very last option. With Akihiko gone, she was going to need all the support she could get.

Kirijos were known for experiments, after all.

* * *

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It's not as if Kikuno hasn't been dishonest before. In the drama CDs, she drugs Mitsuru in order to keep her asleep while the dorm is raided and SEES is dissolved. (She alludes to this in Ultimax when Ken asks her why she's flying the helicopter instead of some traditional maid duties.)

Also, funny you should say that, Mitsuru. There is a fan-made video out there that poses the theory that NANAKO was behind the Inaba murders, in spite of being just seven years old. It's edited to give her Adachi's "accomplice route" goofy grin, and it's seriously unsettling.

Found a screencap: .

The wiki says that Dojima's birthday is May 16.

More Caesarean references - remember that Julius Caesar was stabbed multiple times by dozens of senators.

Kyoto is where Mitsuru goes to see her mother, which is how Yukari knows how to find her since she's from there. I also thought it was funny that no one teases Kanji about having the same surname as Tatsumi Port Island.

Shinji only cooks for everyone in the FeMC route (or the P3 side of Q), but Mitsuru and Akihiko seem to already know he can cook, so presumably he'd cooked something for them before.


	18. Temporal Relations

Day three without Akihiko.

The robots had returned claiming they'd just missed him.

Where on Earth WAS he?

Mitsuru still didn't want to admit to herself that her ingenious idea of using a Dark Hour to find the missing children had an ulterior motive: if Akihiko was still in Japan, and possibly in range, he would be awake and alert in a sea of coffins. Perhaps it would even aid him in finding Minazuki, finishing his personal mission and bringing him back to Inaba.

Back to her.

The only foreseeable problem was that Public Safety was already aware that Mitsuru could recreate a temporary Dark Hour and would be on the lookout for gaps in time. They needed to move quickly.

"Are you sure about this?" Yukari asked, nervously fiddling with her bow. None of the Operatives were enthusiastic about another Dark Hour. Bitter memories were fresh in everyone's mind.

"We're out of options, Yukari," Mitsuru said for what felt like the tenth time that day, "I'm tired of simply reacting to events happening around me. No one is expecting us to act first." They had gathered at the entrance of Junes – after the tournament, no one wanted to be stuck on the stairs with no power – and tried to look like a group of rendezvousing friends on a shopping trip. It went as well as their last "blending-in" attempt.

The Investigation Team members were already anxious about an hour of blood and coffins, and seeing the unease of seasoned veterans did little to staunch their worries. Mitsuru had been quick to assure them that normal people weren't even aware anything was amiss, and felt no discomfort from being entombed. They were delighted, however, to hear that they should be able to summon their Personas even without entering a TV. If the Dark Hour was closely related to the TV World – and she and Shirogane suspected as much – it should level the playing field.

It was Narukami that raised a troubling possibility. "So the only people who realize anything's going on are Persona-users, and potential Persona-users? What if someone wakes up?" He was concerned about Nanako, and she couldn't blame him one bit. A small child had no business being aware that the things you think you see out of the corner of your eye in the dark of night were really there, and really dangerous. But Nanako wasn't the only one suffering – and neither was Mitsuru. If "Kirijo" was synonymous with "Shadows" in the minds of the public, then where Shadows went, Mitsuru ought to follow.

Perhaps she should have gone on her own. "Yamagishi will be monitoring the entire town with assistance from Kujikawa. If anyone is conscious during this Dark Hour, we'll be able to find them." She granted him one sliver of a smile. "We've done this before."

Kikuno had arrived with the familiar box. On her right hand, she wore a simple silver ring. Mitsuru tried to play it off as if she wasn't as nervous as the others. "Everyone ready?" They nodded. She found herself holding her breath as she removed the lid. A brief glimpse of an oddly glowing black sphere was all they got before the entire world turned a putrid green. The Shadow Operatives shuddered in synchronicity.

Some of the IT looked ready to bolt. "Don't go home!" Mitsuru cautioned them, "Trust me." Instead, they looked to Narukami, who shook his head. "Stay together, and stay alert. Sixty minutes goes by a lot quicker than you think."

Hanamura seemed the type to prattle endlessly when anxious. "Shouldn't they have called this the Green Hour?"

"No."

"I'm just saying, it's not so much dark as it is lime-flavored."

Unfortunately, this set off the rest of the Team. "Wait, so what if," Satonaka began, "you're driving somewhere when everything goes dark? The driver would be a coffin, right?"

"Wouldn't the car keep going?" worried Amagi.

Mitsuru sighed. "The only electronic devices that function during the Dark Hour are those that have been retrofitted with Plumes of Dusk, so no, the car would lose momentum and eventually stop moving."

This failed to please Satonaka. "But what if it's about to jump a cliff or something?"

"How often does one jump over a cliff with their car outside of an action film?" _Teenagers!_

"How 'bout a plane?" Tatsumi added. "It'd just fall out of the sky, right?"

"Oh, good question, Kanji-kun!" Amagi praised him, and the others agreed.

" **Fifty-eight minutes!** "

They scrambled off to their designated areas, still debating the logistics. "Imagine waking up on the other side of town without knowing how you got there," she heard Tatsumi saying.

Teddie looked concerned. "If nothing works during this Dark Hour, how would we get into the TV World?"

"But Teddie," Shirogane pointed out, "the TV in Junes is always off when we enter it. There's no need for the electricity to be working." She remained close enough for Mitsuru to see that she'd been marking off the remaining minutes in a small notebook.

"If you were cooking something, and the Dark Hour happened, would your food be done when it ended?" wondered Amagi.

"It couldn't be," countered Narukami, "the oven wouldn't come back on at the right temperature."

"Hey, if you baked something like a chicken or a fish...wouldn't they turn into a coffin? They're alive and all – I mean, until you kill them," said Satonaka.

"Animals turn into coffins?" Tatsumi sounded panicky. "Like, all the fish in the river now are just floating coffins?"

"I wonder if that fox is all right..." Narukami mused.

"Does one have to be living in order to transmogrify?" Now Shirogane was in on it. "I don't think deceased persons – or animals – are affected by the Dark Hour. There's no Shadow in someone whose consciousness has left this world."

"Dead people are already in coffins," said Hanamura, "Wait – is that where all the coffins come from? Holy crap!"

"Why are we talking about dead people?" Satonaka's knees could be heard knocking all over the quiet town. "STOP TALKING ABOUT DEAD PEOPLE!"

Mitsuru covered her face with her hand. "Please let this be the last group of teenagers with Personas."

* * *

Naoto had way too many questions about this Dark Hour phenomenon. To think that Shadows, the physical manifestation of the feelings you didn't want to acknowledge, were capable of manipulating time and space to create their own pocket universe! Furthermore, Kirijo scientists had managed to recreate this process and contain it, allowing one to access it at will! It was a bit too much even for her mind, and she was both amazed and proud that Kanji was actually doing his best to dissect it into manageable, layman's terms. Her mind was awash with theories.

They were supposed to be sweeping the town looking for anyone human, but it was proving to be difficult with all the bizarre changes that faced them. Kanji, wanting to test his query about fish coffins, looked as if he was going to vomit when faced with a sanguineous Samegawa.

"It would have been nice of Mitsuru-san to mention that everything looked like blood," Yu muttered.

"If water looks like blood," wondered Yukiko, "what does blood look like?"

Yosuke smirked. "If Kanji gets another nosebleed, I guess we'll find out."

" _If?_ " Rise's voice danced through their minds.

"Shut up and look for the kids!" Kanji snapped. "Hey, you think if we put our glasses on, things wouldn't look like Evil Christmas anymore?"

Yu perked up. "That's an idea."

"I'll try anything!" Chie declared as she pulled out her TV World glasses and practically smacked her own face with them. She frowned. "Oh...it's still creepy."

"I could have told you that," said Teddie, "My eyes see red and green, too."

"THEN WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING, YOU STUPID BEAR?" It was hard to chastise Kanji for losing his patience with Teddie. There were less than 30 minutes left, and all they had found were disturbing images.

"Look, we're not doing any good just wandering around here." Yu tried to get them back on track. "If you were a little kid, and everyone around you was a coffin, where would you go?"

Yukiko was onboard first. "Aren't you supposed to find a policeman if you're lost?"

"They'd be coffins, too, though," Yosuke pointed out.

"But a kid wouldn't know that. Guys, we're heading to the police station." Yu declared.

Just then, Rise spoke up. "Senpai, that place is crawling with Shadows! Be careful!"

"Does this mean we were correct?" said Naoto as they ran.

"Only one way to find out!" said Yu, sprinting ahead. Heaven help any Shadow that came in contact with Big Bro tonight.

* * *

The Shadow Operatives had really taken their home-town advantage for granted all those years. Though Inaba was small, they hadn't gotten the lay of the land in normal conditions. It made navigating while the town was Satanically tinted almost impossible, even with Juno's eyes. Without a concrete plan, they merely headed for whatever Shadows were detected and hoped there weren't any weak to electricity.

A party consisting of Mitsuru, Aigis, Yukari and Labrys were staking out the high school – old habits died hard – when Yamagishi suddenly gasped. "Senpai!"

"What's wrong?" Mitsuru looked around her, sword drawn, but found nothing alarming.

"No – **Akihiko** -senpai! I picked up his signal!"

Mitsuru's heart stopped for more than a second, and then began to beat so furiously that she was sure it was visible through her suit. He was still too far away for her own ability to pick him up, but he WAS in range! "Where?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but he's definitely heading in this direction!" chirped Fuuka.

Her plan had worked. With everything else that could cloud an analytical Persona's senses nearly removed, their friend's presence came through loud and clear.

Of course, so did other, less friendly things. "Oh! It looks like some Shadows are heading your way, too!"

 _Bring them on._ Mitsuru found herself with a surge of energy that she could not – or didn't want to – explain. She charged forward without fear, barely remembering the others until Labrys spoke up.

"Does this mean he found Sho-kun?" she said quietly.

* * *

In retrospect, they should have realized Shadows hanging out around the police station were going to be those irritatingly implacable Fuzz Shadows. Uniformed creatures resembling bears (which Teddie took as an affront to the ursine species), they were shaped like donuts, with gaping holes in their midsections. Some of them dangled keys there. Most of them usually had one weakness and one weakness only, such as the Monomaniac Fuzz that had just targeted them. Fortunately, they had two electric users nearby. The other Fuzzes had been weak to fire, leaving poor Yukiko too drained to fully heal their oversized party. Naoto, with their only Dark spells, found herself relying heavily on Kanji knocking the Shadows down so she could make the Mudoon go farther. They were tired, frustrated at the lack of results, and losing the battle of attrition – which of course was the perfect time for the appearance of the Persistent Fuzz.

"Guys," Rise sounded worried, "this one doesn't have any weaknesses at all!"

"Man, you really can't shake the Fuzz, can you?" joked Kanji.

"You realize this is all your fault, Kanji," Yosuke teased. Before Kanji could turn his frustrations on him, Naoto cut them both off.

"Yosuke-senpai, perhaps you should conserve your energy?" She tried to make it sound both like a request and a reminder that she, too, could be considered a cop.

Just then, they heard barking and what sounded like "Da-da-da-DAAAA!" Reinforcements! Junpei, Ken, and Koromaru came down the street. "You guys need healing and fire?" Naoto and Yukiko gratefully swapped places with them.

"You're gonna have trouble with that big one!" they heard Rise warn.

"Bark! Bark, Bark!"

"Good idea, Koromaru! Junpei-san, let's do an All-Out Attack!" The fact that Ken could understand what the dog was saying without a translator around was a testament to their close relationship.

"All right! BATTER UP!"

"Did...did the dog just call for an All-Out Attack?" Yu sounded confused.

The fresh Persona-users leapt on the stubborn Shadow, and within minutes, it was all over.

"All, right, guys!" Rise cheered.

"Well done," Mitsuru took over the broadcast, "Everyone needs to return at once. There are only a few minutes left in this Dark Hour – assuming it works correctly."

As they returned to Junes, they couldn't help but notice that Mitsuru seemed uneasy and distracted. She was purposely avoiding looking at Labrys. Naoto was going to reroute her with some questions, but Yu knew when to lead.

"Guys, we should get back in the same places we were before the Dark Hour," he said. They stashed their weapons under their uniforms, and several of them took out their phones. It may not have been a perfect match, but only the very observant would have noticed that anything was amiss. The Shadow Operatives already stood out like sore thumbs, so they didn't seem too concerned. They watched as Kikuno put the lid back on the little box...

...and like magic, Inaba came back to life. Their phones powered back up, people began milling around, even the bugs in the park began chirping again. It was as if the Dark Hour had never happened. Even Naoto's custom-made watch reactivated at the exact time the box had been opened.

"Amazing," Naoto couldn't help but marvel to herself, "No one seems to be aware that a parallel window of time opened right next to them."

"At least, none that we know of," added Yu.

"Well, that didn't work," Yukari grumbled, "We were the only ones up the entire time. Now what?"

When Mitsuru replied, it sounded as if she was a million miles away. "I don't know. That was our last avenue..." For someone with incredible power and influence, being stymied must be considerably frustrating.

Just then, a sniffling voice came around the corner. "You're here! I knew you would be!"

"Nanako?" Yu shuffled to the front to meet a distressed Nanako, who picked her head up and ran...towards Mitsuru. The look on Yu's face was priceless.

Mitsuru, for her part, looked surprised but did nothing to discourage Nanako. "Was there something you needed my help with?"

"I heard them again!"

A chorus of "WHATs" rang out, and a vein Naoto had never seen before popped out of Yu's forehead.

"Are you sure?" Mitsuru asked.

Nanako nodded. "I was in school, working on my art project, and I heard voices. They kept saying, 'Wrong, wrong!', and they sounded angry. I tried telling the teacher, but she said she didn't hear anything. She said I must have fallen asleep at my desk." That in itself was troubling, but it also cast doubt on Mitsuru's assurance that normal people weren't aware of the Dark Hour. Was Nanako awake the entire time?

"But that's impossible...I didn't sense Nanako-chan at all!" Rise exclaimed.

"Nanako, did you see anything...different?" asked Yu. He was hesitant to mention blood and coffins to a small child. They saw how Mitsuru reacted at this age. But Nanako shook her head.

"Interesting," said Mitsuru, "Usually, those who are Transmogrified have no memory of what happens during the Dark Hour. I wasn't aware it was possible for them to dream."

"So, what does this mean? Will Nanako-"

"I can't say either way." Mitsuru was quick to cut Yu off before he voiced a troubling possibility.

"That's not all," Nanako was saying, "They were looking for you. I didn't know what it meant until I met you, but...they've been saying it for a while now: Kirijo." The color drained out of Mitsuru's face, and Naoto recognized the look of retreating into your own head.

"Senpai?" Fuuka nudged her.

Once again, it was Nanako who broke through Mitsuru's veneer. "But we don't have to listen to them. Right?"

Mitsuru smiled and, to everyone's open-mouthed amazement, scooped Nanako up and hugged her. " _Oui, c'est vrai!"_ Nanako squealed with delight."Such cleverness deserves a reward. Come, let's get you something sweet and bubbly in an adorable little package. I'll buy you anything you'd like."

"Okay!" giggled Nanako. And Mitsuru actually carried Nanako off to Junes.

The others were still too shocked to move. "Uh, I think Mitsuru-senpai just adopted your cousin," said Junpei.

"What am I going to tell my uncle?" Yu gaped.

"I think being in love has been good for Senpai," Fuuka said dreamily, and everyone turned to stare at her instead.

"FUUKA!" Yukari chastised her, "You can't just say something like that out of the blue without **telling me everything**!" She hovered over the smaller girl, her grin quickly becoming predatory. "Spill it – what do you know?"

"Oh, I could tell," Fuuka explained, only slightly intimidated, "She's been thinking about Akihiko-senpai ever since I said he was coming back. It's the same kind of feeling Junpei-kun had about Chidori." Said man's shoulders sunk, and Fuuka immediately tried to retract her statement. "U-um..."

Naoto remembered reading about another member of the group Strega, Chidori Yoshino. She had been their communicator, and began a relationship with Junpei until her untimely death, which was the catalyst for Junpei's evolution. Evidently, Fuuka was able to sense the emotional patterns of a person in love...

...which gave Naoto a horrible thought: Was this something any communicative Persona-user could do? What would happen if Rise – or heaven forbid, Teddie – managed to read Naoto's emotions? Would they know she was often thinking of Kanji?

A ringing phone brought Naoto out of her reverie, but it took everyone staring at her for her to realize that it was hers. "Grampa?" Grampa hardly ever called from his personal phone!

"I thought I would inform you that I would not be at home today," Grampa said, his voice unnaturally strained. "We appear to be suffering from an invasion of destructive insects in the west wing." The west wing was the location of Grampa's office. So Naoto was to avoid that wing today. Why? "I've agreed to a fumigation service this evening, so I would like you to remain at home, for your health and safety." Public Safety. They had caught up to Grampa at last. Naoto knew they were angry with her as well as Mitsuru. What lengths would they go to in order to send a message?

"Very well," she replied, keeping her voice light to mask her anger, "I trust you will stay safe as well, Grampa?" _Are you okay?_

"Oh, I am not afraid of a few bugs," Grampa chuckled. He really was a shrewd man. "Good evening, my dear."

There were few things that caused Naoto to lose her finely-honed composure. Lately, people misjudging Kanji was a priority, but no one was ever worth more to Naoto than her last living relative. Grampa was all she had, and she was not ready to lose him yet. Public Safety had just made a dangerous mistake.

She knew it was Kanji approaching her before he even put a hand on her shoulder. "Naoto? The old man okay?"

"Everything's fine, Kanji-kun. In fact, I was just about to give Grampa's regards to Mitsuru-san. I'm sure she'll be delighted to receive them." Grampa came first, sure...but what was right and fair was not far behind. Naoto had had enough of law enforcement officials that enforced their own private laws. Justice may have been blind, but she wasn't. As an independent detective, she reserved the right to work for whoever needed her the most. No one said it had to be the police.

Public Safety had lost their turn to spin the Wheel of Fortune.

* * *

 _Two hours earlier..._

Tokyo was farther on foot than it appeared by plane. Neither perpetrator nor pursuer had a car, yet something was driving Akihiko to push his body to its limits.

Minazuki was close. The last witnesses had reported a rude, redheaded boy attempting to buy food at a rest stop in Minato. Luckily, they bought Akihiko's cover story that Minazuki was a school truant and his parents had hired an investigator. Taking the time to buy a cheap suit turned out to be a smart move and the closest thing to a plan Akihiko had going for him.

His next lucky break came when he overheard officers being called to a disturbance outside a high school. He took a spot in the crowd pretending to be another onlooker and sure enough, there was Minazuki sneering at some local punks.

"All right, break it up!" An older officer grabbed each boy by the scruff of the neck. "School's just let out and you're already in trouble, huh, Iruma?" He seemed disdainful of anyone under thirty. No way would he believe Akihiko's flimsy cover story.

The local kid still dangling from the cop's grip flailed and glared at Minazuki. "He started it! I just asked him where he was from, and he shoved me!

The cop dropped the townie and turned to Minazuki, "I don't recognize that uniform. What school do you go to?" Minazuki just sulked and refused to look him in the eye. The officer grabbed him by the shoulders. "Hey, I'm talking to you! You got a name?"

Time for Akihiko to make his move. "Sho!" he called out. Both Minazuki and the officer looked over at him as the sea of onlookers parted. The expression on Minazuki's face went from surprise to annoyance to dawning recognition. He shook himself free of the officer's grip and shuffled over to Akihiko.

The officer looked Akihiko over, and he apparently passed inspection, because he let Minazuki go. "You know this kid?"

Akihiko sighed and shrugged. "My idiot stepbrother. What's he done now?"

"Failed to make a good first impression, looks like. You new around here?"

"Just passing through, looking for work." Akihiko took Minazuki by the arm, but only the two of them knew just how hard he was gripping. "Looks like I should've taken you with me. "

"Shut up," Minazuki mumbled.

"Hey, I didn't want your old man marrying my mom and then dropping dead, either, but now you're stuck with me, so deal with it!"

"He's dead 'cause of you!" Either Minazuki was good at improvisation, or still sore about Ikutsuki. Maybe both. But it made a good show for the crowd, who immediately began tut-tutting about the "poor boy".

The officer's face softened. "You're probably not going to find much here, son. Best to move on to the city. There's a lot of places a kid can blow off steam there, too."

"Thank you, sir. I apologize for any trouble he's caused." A pat on the back nearly knocked Minazuki to the ground, and he groaned.

"Good luck to you kids."

Akihiko gratefully led Minazuki down the street and turned into a narrow alleyway...where he immediately slammed him into a brick wall.

"What's the matter? Aren't you glad to see me, _**Big Bro?**_ " Minazuki cackled.

"Shut up. I don't know what your little game is, but this shit you're pulling on Mitsuru is **not** gonna fly, you hear me?" It was getting harder and harder for Akihiko to control his anger. "Now, your little punk ass is going back to Inaba, and you're going to tell everybody where you were when all of these bodies started hitting the ground – and if I don't like your answers? **You're. Next.** "

This only made Minazuki laugh harder. "Kirijo's dog is barking up the wrong tree!" he joked. "You really think there's any fun in killing lame old guys who don't fight back? I didn't off those old fogies – but I'd like to shake the hand of whoever did!"

"Now why don't I believe you?" growled Akihiko.

"I don't know, because you're stupid?"

The slug to the stomach shouldn't cause any obvious bruising. Hopefully, Minazuki didn't have anything weird for lunch.

"And what if I did do it?" he managed to cough out, "You can't prove anything. You think if you drag me all the way back to Kirijo, she'll what? Give you a nice, big kiss?" He started making kissing noises, and Akihiko lost his patience and reached for his neck.

One of the officers who had been controlling the crowd happened to stick his head into the alley at the worst possible time. "Hey, what's going on he-" And then he stopped mid-sentence.

He also happened to be a coffin.

As Akihiko looked on in horror, a familiar green tint assaulted his eyes as the town of Minato went Dark.

 _The FUCK?!_

"What did you do?" Minazuki was also awake, and there was fear in his eyes for the very first time. "What the hell did you do, Protein Junkie? This is the ugliest color scheme I've ever seen!"

"Shut up! I'm trying to think!" It had been three years since the Dark Hour appeared on its own. The copycat version that Kagutsuchi conjured up during the tournament wasn't exactly the same. No one else would have the ability to create another Dark Hour except...

 _Mitsuru._

He was off and running before Minazuki could even snap back, dragging the boy behind him.

Akihiko hadn't been paying much attention when Mitsuru said she had some meeting with bigwigs to get permission to form the Shadow Operatives, but he did remember something about giving them all the Kirijo Group's dangerous toys. Something was wrong. If Mitsuru had started up a Dark Hour herself, something was fucking _**wrong**_. And as usual, he was far, far away.

 _I'm sorry, hon. I'll be there soon._

 _Wait for me._

* * *

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Remember that Teddie says he makes the TV World glasses from his eyes somehow.

Obviously, if you're at a police station, you're going to run into the Fuzz!

Out of all of the "Fuzz" Shadows that appear in Golden, only the Monomaniac Fuzz has electricity as it's single weakness (and just in Golden). The others are weak to Fire and Dark, except for Persistent Fuzz which isn't weak to anything.

It's sort of implied that Fuuka has some kind of psychic powers beyond what her Persona can do, since she was able to make it through Tartarus "unarmed". She's also the most empathetic and sympathetic member of the group, so it makes sense she would be attuned to what her friends are feeling.

Akihiko may have been several miles away, but the original Dark Hour still reached SEES even when they were in Yakushima, which was far enough away to require a boat to get there.

There really is a Minato in Japan! It's apparently about two hours by car from the real-life equivalent of Inaba. wiki/Minato,_Tokyo In fact, a look at a map of Japan reveals quite a few cities that share their names with Persona characters. I'd imagine touring Japan as a Persona fan would be really fun.


	19. Revelations

a.k.a. Chapter "Oh, no!"

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* * *

Naoto prided herself on the work she put in shedding her "tin ear for others' feelings". Still, even she had momentary lapses. Perhaps if she had been more observant, she would have noticed the gloom settling in over Mitsuru...or the fact that Kanji had something rather important on his mind.

They'd found Mitsuru and Nanako in the food court, already thick as the proverbial thieves. Poor Nanako had been without a mother for so long, she must have been soaking up as much maternal attention as she could. If Naoto didn't know any better, she'd swear Yu was jealous!

Mitsuru agreed that Public Safety was planning to ambush Naoto with Grampa as the bait. She wasn't any happier about it than Naoto was, and she promised to use her influence to protect him. What Mitsuru realized that Naoto hadn't, however, was the possibility that Public Safety might spill the beans about Personas and Shadows in order to lure Grampa into ratting her out, and this was worrying. Naoto never deliberately kept anything from her grandfather, but a lie of omission was still a lie. He would certainly be upset with her if he found out she was even more involved in last year's murder case than she'd let on.

Kanji saw his chance. "Hey, Naoto? You have anything to eat since lunch?"

"I'm fine, Kanji-kun, thank you."

"Didn't ask if you were okay. Asked if you were hungry."

"Actually, you asked me if I had had anything to eat, which I have not, but I am not currently hungry, which is one contributing factor to my current contentment." That came out much ruder than she'd intended.

Kanji's eyes had glazed over midway through her speech, and he looked disappointed. "So...you're fine." Whatever he had intended to do remained a mystery as he soon busied himself with yelling at Teddie.

Naoto immediately regretted blowing him off. Kanji may not have always known the best course of action for dealing with others, but he at least **tried** to offer assistance. Worse still, her stomach decided to betray her by loudly declaring that it **wasn't** that content at the moment. She ate her words as the others enjoyed their afternoon.

Rise had been the only one to witness the exchange, and expressed her displeasure by poking Naoto in the arm with more strength than she appeared to have. "Naoto-kun!"

"Is there a reason you're injuring me today, Rise-san?"

"Can't you just say 'ow!' like everyone else?"

Naoto sighed. "It appears that I cannot."

"You gotta dumb things down once in a while. You know Moronji doesn't understand half of those big words – and I don't understand the other half!"

Again with the detrimental nickname! It was no small wonder that Kanji had simply agreed to burrow down to their low expectations, because everywhere he looked, he found derision. "There's one difference you failed to account for, Rise-san."

"Oh, yeah? What?"

"Kanji-kun is willing to learn my vocabulary." Okay, someone had clearly possessed Naoto this week...someone even less empathetic than she!

Rise didn't seem particularly fazed, but she looked as if she wanted to poke Naoto again. "And why do you think that is, dummy?"

"How am I the 'dummy' when we've just established that I am too intelligent for both-OW!"

"A **ha**!"

"Yes, I too feel pain like the average teenager, thank you, Rise-san. Experiment resulted in success." Naoto rubbed her now-sore arm and glared, but it bounced right off the starlet.

"You may be smart about most things, Naoto-kun, but you're a biiiig dummy when it comes to boys – especially big, dumb boys!"

"If you're referring to Kanji-kun..."

"Nice sleuthing, Detective Prince! You can solve a murder case, but you can't figure out that Kanji-kun is crazy about you?"

Her words poked Naoto even harder. Kanji-kun was romantically interested in her? **Her?** He was surely a good friend, and he was always willing to spend time with her – but that was simply because she was one of the few people who didn't treat him like a subhuman! Yu also treated Kanji with the respect he never got, and Kanji was as devoted to him as the girls were. Did Rise think Kanji was in love with him as well?

A small thread of something Naoto couldn't name wove its way through her heart. Kanji had been bringing her both lunch and supper for a while now, knowing that she would often forget to eat. He credited her with the evolution of his Persona. The amount of nosebleeds he got upon seeing her in feminine clothing should have rendered him anemic. Perhaps...?

No.

Rise was just reading too much into things as per usual. Her desire for a romantic relationship with Yu had clouded her vision. Kanji had made no overt advances toward her, or even hinted that he saw her as something more than a close friend.

Why was Yamato Takeru now also poking her in the arm?

* * *

Mitsuru, meanwhile, could no longer bring herself to use Nanako as a distraction. As if Public Safety and Tsukuda weren't enough, the Shadows themselves were now calling her out. She still remembered the chill traveling through her bones whenever one spoke to her during the experiments. It was everywhere and nowhere at the same time, with a feeling of _**wrongness**_ that would not go away. Even as a small child, she just knew the unsettling aura that came from a shadow was a thing that should not exist. The voice was too deep, too whispery – it entered you and touched something no one was supposed to touch. Mitsuru was unable to properly communicate how it felt as a child, but she strongly suspected that the purported "sixth sense" of legend was akin to fully using all five known senses at once. When a Shadow spoke to you, you could see, hear, smell, taste, and touch it at the same time – and it was both enlightening and draining. She could understand how her grandfather could become addicted to it, but too much of it would consume your very soul.

Yamagishi had no more updates on Akihiko. Try as she might, Mitsuru couldn't sense him. Was she losing her analytical capabilities? She was never as good as Yamagishi, but she knew her friends and allies and out of all of them, Akihiko's signal was always the strongest. She thought of the cape which was currently sitting in the limousine. It was childish of her to bring it along like a security blanket, but she knew Akihiko would return for it.

With her preemptive strike missing its mark, Mitsuru was left to once again react instead of act. Public Safety had finally tracked her down. It really was her fault; she thought she'd saved Shirogane-san from their wrath, but all she had done was delayed it. It gave Public Safety the perfect opportunity to paint her as some inhuman monster, recruiting unsuspecting teenagers to do her dirty work. The Kirijo Group was capable of creating Persona-users, and of the five that survived, three became sociopathic, and one was criminally insane. If Shirogane-san had any sense (which he certainly did), he'd hide his granddaughter far, far away from Mitsuru and turn on her faster than you could say "Happy Birthday". So would the rest of the IT's parents.

Worse still, everyone expected her to have an answer as to why Nanako still heard the Shadows during the Dark Hour – and none of her answers would please anyone. What on Earth could she do? Give Nanako potentially fatal suppressants? Train a _**seven-year-old?**_ There was no way Mitsuru could look at that little face turned towards her in hero worship and force her to make such a sadistic choice. _Please don't let this small innocent child have Potential!_

As if he'd been reading her thoughts, Dojima stepped out of the elevator, looking worried and irritated. "I figured you'd be here. What, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Oh, hi, Dad!" Nanako had been feeding Koromaru ice cream and laughing at his reactions along with Amada, Tatsumi, and Teddie. "I didn't think you would be home today!"

Dojima looked guilty. "I said I was going to try, Nanako, remember?" he said softly. "C'mon, we have to get home. It's supposed to rain tonight, and you need to take your medicine."

Nanako pouted, but agreed to bid farewell to everyone – including Mitsuru. The look on Dojima's face rivaled that of his nephew's. "Thank you for the sodas, Mitsuru-san! I hope you feel better now!"

"I do, indeed." Being hugged so often was strange, but it was beginning to grow on her. Sometimes, it felt good to be warm.

The other teens decided to take their leave as well, except for Shirogane. Tatsumi continued to look back at her as he left, and Kujikawa whispered something to her that left the smaller girl blushing, but she remained with the Shadow Operatives.

Iori began saying something vaguely familiar. "So...we're not gonna talk about your new best friend, huh?"

"No," replied Mitsuru. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yukari visibly react to the exchange with hurt cloaked in anger. "We need to get our stories straight regarding Shirogane-san. Public Safety has now realized that he left the party with Akihiko and I, and they most certainly suspect him of being involved with the Shadow Operatives."

"Sorry about that, Naoto-kun," Labrys felt compelled to say.

"But he doesn't know anything about Personas yet," said Yukari.

"And involving him makes him even more of a target." Amada added.

Mitsuru nodded. "Initially, I had hoped he would be our Inaba contact, but..."

All eyes were on Shirogane now as she stood. "I refused the offer to bring Grampa into the loop," she said, "It may have been selfish, but I wanted the chance to explain Personas to him on my own terms. I suppose you could say I was hesitant to bring my work home," They shared a chuckle. "But Public Safety has denied me that right. In their single-minded quest to combat Mitsuru-san, they failed to consider that others might not appreciate being used as stepping stones on the way to their goal."

"So which path will you choose?" Mitsuru asked her.

"I choose to be proactive as well," replied Shirogane. She took a deep breath, and they recognized the signs of a resolve being strengthened. "If it's not too late...I'm going to tell him everything."

This was what Mitsuru had wanted from the start. Why, then, was she suddenly feeling apprehensive? "Very well. I think I'll hold off on accompanying you for now." Shirogane and the others had awoken to their Personas independent of the Kirijo Group, and **that** was the truth she wanted to firmly establish. Public Safety would most likely be spreading the rumor that Mitsuru was engineering Persona-users and grooming them. The hospital Minazuki lived in being Kirijo property wouldn't help matters, either.

Shirogane-san would be upset, and panicked people rarely recognized the difference between correlation and causation. He would need time to come to terms with one revelation before moving on to the next. They would just have to hope Public Safety hadn't beaten them to the punch.

* * *

If Dojima had any idea what was happening, he didn't let on. Yu had been prepared for all kinds of lectures all the way home, but none came.

Nanako was in good spirits as they left Junes, practically skipping to the car. The Investigation Team members followed along with them before tapering off, leaving only Yosuke and Teddie by the end.

"Nana-chan," Teddie said suddenly, "are you going to go off to the big city and forget about little old me?" His costume managed to look very pitiful.

"Of course not!" Nanako insisted.

The others looked confused for a second, until Yu remembered the surprising turn that afternoon had taken. His eyes met Yosuke's, and they both realized precautions were needed. Dojima still had reservations about Mitsuru, after all.

"Ted, everyone was just joking, you realize that, right?" Yosuke tried not to sound like anything was amiss, and the "weird kid" was just being weird. "You remember jokes – those things you try to tell and never quite manage?"

"Yeah, but," now Teddie's eyes were watering, "it made me realize...Nana-chan's going to grow up someday...and-and I'm not!" He burst into tears. "Everyone's going to get older and get married and leave poor Teddie behind!"

It had never occurred to any of them that Teddie, being a Shadow, would not be subject to the same passage of time that the rest of them would face. If no one with a Persona destroyed him, would he just live on forever? Would the human body that he "grew" remain frozen in time as a teenager?

As Teddie wailed on, Nanako began to worry. "Oh, Teddie, I'd never leave you alone!" she declared, "Besides, I'll probably be here for a long, long time. Someone's got to take care of Dad, after all! He can't even cook!"

"Hey!" Dojima looked totally lost, but Nanako's declaration touched him more than he cared to let on.

"You really mean it?" Teddie's tears turned to sparkles as he beamed. "Nana-chan! Let's make a promise to play together forever and ever, and ever, and ever-"

"Teddie," Yu tried to calm him down.

"-and ever, and ever-"

"TEDDIE! Calm down." A jubilant bear was almost as bad as a maudlin one. "We're a team, remember? We're always going to be there for one another."

"As if any of us could afford to move out of Inaba, anyway," Yosuke added.

"But Sensei's going home soon," Teddie pointed out, and Yu couldn't deny that. It seemed like every time he finally got comfortable somewhere, it was time to leave. It would be even harder this time than it was before.

"I'll come back here every chance I get," Yu said...and realized that he meant it. Inaba held more for him than all of Tokyo ever could.

"Really, Big Bro?" Nanako suddenly had Teddie eyes.

"Really, Partner?" Yosuke didn't seem to realize his voice had cracked a bit before he recovered. "Ahem- I mean, you'd do that? What about Tokyo?"

"Tokyo doesn't have you guys," replied Yu. The more he said it, the better it felt. This last week had strengthened his resolve to the point that he was able to summon Izanagi in his sleep. He enjoyed being part of a team, everyone having one another's backs, a support system. No one was alone. "Uh, I mean, if that's okay with you, Uncle, sorry."

"Hey, you're family." Dojima clapped him on the shoulder, but he held on a little longer than was necessary. Then he laughed. "Look at us all standing here, moping. C'mon, why don't we go back to the house and I'll order sushi." He motioned to Yosuke and Teddie. "You guys can come along, too."

That was all the prompting Teddie needed. "Dinner at Sensei's with Nana-chan and Pops? I'm the luckiest bear in the world!"

The car ride was too short for introspection – probably the only downside to living in Inaba – but Yu certainly tried. How was he going to convince his parents to let him come back here now that they were actually his parents? It was Sho who inadvertently put the idea in his mom's head, and he only escaped this time because of work. There were no future prospects to be had here. Inaba didn't have its own college. Even Okina City, which seemed huge compared to here, had only a tenth of the things Tokyo could offer. It would be hard to convince them that Nanako needed his help, because he was self-sufficient at her age (out of lonely necessity!). He remained in autopilot until he realized Yosuke was asking him a question.

"You in there, Yu?" Yosuke had reverted to his given name when he failed to get a reaction.

"Sorry. Feeling that extra hour now."

"Yeah, man, I don't know how the Shadow Operatives did that every single night – and then got up for school the next day!" Yosuke's winking smile disappeared as he became uncharacteristically serious. "I'm worried about Teddie, though."

The bear costume was currently entertaining Nanako with a story about how he'd charmed the female Operatives. Yu frowned. "I don't know why I assumed Teddie was about our age. He said the TV World had always been peaceful until the murders – but how long has it been there?"

"I'd say ask Mitsuru-san, but, uh...I don't think she's all there right about now."

Yu still remembered Mitsuru's passionate declaration that these were "her Shadows". She held herself personally responsible for everything the Kirijo Group had a hand in, and so did Public Safety and the general public. According to Nanako, the Shadows themselves did, too. "There are a lot of things I would love to ask Mitsuru-san about Shadows and Personas, but right now, we need to find these missing kids." He didn't like feeling helpless any more than Mitsuru did.

Teddie was especially buoyant all through supper, keeping them in stitches by arguing with the TV during one of Nanako's favorite game shows. He never left Nanako's side.

Dojima had definitely noticed something was out of the ordinary, even for Teddie, and pulled the boys aside during a Junes commercial. "I need to ask you boys something, and I want you to tell me the truth." Uh oh. "What's the deal with this Teddie kid?"

"Um..."

"Well, uh..."

"Does he not have parents or something? Where's he from? I ducked into the Junes earlier today, and he was there giggling with some housewives. Does he not go to school?" Of course a cop wasn't going to let this slide. Naoto had told them about Dojima's meeting with the Shadow Operatives at the station. Dojima knew what Shadows were...and he knew that they were dangerous to his daughter. What would he do once he knew a Shadow was Nanako's best friend? Best to play ignorant.

"We don't know where Teddie's from," said Yu, "We only met him last year."

"He acts like he's Nanako's age. There's clearly something wrong with him," Cop plus father equaled trouble for the local mascot. "Where does he live? I want to talk to his guardian or caretaker or whatever."

While the boys were stalling and slowly running out of excuses, Nanako's show had ended, and a thought crossed her mind. "Teddie? Why don't you think you're going to grow up?"

Teddie froze. He could never lie to Nana-chan! Her eyes looked so sad!

"You're not going to die, are you?"

Now Nana-chan was going to cry! **Do something!**

"Nope! Not me! I'm not going to die, ever! Teddie's going to live for a million, billion, trillion, _**zillion**_ years!"

"No one lives for a zillion years," Nanako said, her brow furrowed in thought. Neither of them noticed Dojima and the boys returning to the living room. "Teddie, are you...a Shadow?"

* * *

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Oh, no!

So, how old do you think Teddie is? According to the wiki, Izanami "opened a window" to the domain of human consciousness when she started her game, and this became the TV World, so that came into being right before Yu arrived in Inaba. Teddie doesn't seem to have any concept of time when the kids arrive. This means he could have potentially existed right after Nyx became the moon according to the Persona mythos...I think. Teddie would have more-or-less modeled his human body after his friends, making him a teenager, but he acts considerably younger than the rest of the IT. According to my research, you don't have to go to school after age 15 in Japan. I suppose they could claim he's just turned 15.

Of course, Teddie the Shadow (not to be confused with Shadow Teddie) could be as old as the moon, or as old as whoever's Shadow you think he is (I've heard theories that he's Adachi's Shadow, Ikutsuki's Shadow, Nanako's Shadow).

I am also really curious as to how Yosuke got his parents to let him keep Teddie in his closet and hire him at Junes with no address, no work history, and medical records that say he's completely hollow. Did they just claim he was homeless? They may have let that go, but someone like Dojima or Grampa Shirogane would be highly suspicious of this – and so would Naoto if she hadn't already known the truth.


	20. Red Hair-ing

What is Sho's part to play?

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* * *

The Shadow Operatives were sprawled around Mitsuru's hotel suite, waiting for their leader to give them some kind of orders, send them on missions... **anything** besides lay on her bed and stare at the wall. She didn't care that Junpei and Labrys had the TV on a bit too loud, or that Koromaru was on the couch, or that Yukari had ordered a massive amount of room service on her tab. She wouldn't even take tea. She might not have even cared if she knew Fuuka was previewing the Ikutsuki files on her laptop.

Kikuno had been manning the helm at the Kirijo offices, and returned looking hopeful, but her face fell as she scanned the room. "Lady Mitsuru hasn't gotten up yet?"

"No," Yukari sighed, "She won't even talk to me! It's not like Senpai to be so mopey." She put down the pastry she'd been considering and slumped down on the couch, arms crossed. "If Akihiko-senpai even bothers to show his face around here, I'm going to send an arrow right to his crotch!"

Junpei slammed his legs shut and leapt up, crossing the room to sit next to Ken.

"I don't think this is about Sanada-san anymore," said Ken, "You heard what Nanako-chan said earlier today: these loose Shadows know Mitsuru-san's here."

"Which I don't get," Yukari was still sulking. "It's not like Shadows can watch the news. And we've already established that Public Safety doesn't have any Persona-users. What, did they show them a picture of Senpai and say, 'Fetch, boys!'?" Koromaru cocked his head. "No, not you."

But Koromaru had his own opinion to share. "He says you might be on to somethin'," said Labrys, "If Shadows can smell a person, like dogs, then maybe they did sic 'em on her!"

"But why bother?" Junpei found it impossible to watch TV through this. "They're cops. Can't they just arrest her?"

"They've already tried that at the party," said Kikuno. "Look at it this way: if there are Shadows out in public, Lady Mitsuru will have no choice but to vanquish them. Witnesses – say Nanako-san for example – will attest to the fact that these Shadows addressed Lady Mitsuru by name...implicating her. From there, it's a short step to fully blaming her for the kidnappings and murders."

"And us as well, probably," added Ken, "And the Investigation Team."

As if on cue, they heard Mitsuru's phone chiming from the bedroom. "Milady? Your phone." When it continued to chime unanswered, Kikuno took it upon herself to go in and get it.

"I'm worried," Fuuka said as she closed the horrors of the past from view, "She hasn't eaten or spoken since we got here, but she's not sleeping. She's just..."

"Apathetic," Aigis offered, and everyone froze.

"But...you can't get Apathy Syndrome if you have a Persona, can you?" Fuuka was pulling on her braid out of nervousness.

"That's what Ikutsuki told us," said Junpei, "and everything else he said turned out to be a lie, so I wouldn't put it past him to have made **that** up, too."

A yelp made them all jump up and turn around. Kikuno had yanked the cape away from Mitsuru, which forced Mitsuru to get up and try to get it back. "Come now, Lady Mitsuru! You have responsibilities! Naoto-san is counting on your cooperation, and Shirogane-san has requested your presence this evening." When Mitsuru pouted like a child, using her hair to hide Kikuno from view, Kikuno put a hand on her hip and looked sterner than they'd ever seen her. "Don't make me do it." Do what? "Very well."

Mitsuru still wasn't moving, so Kikuno reached down...and began tickling her. The others watched in amazement as Mitsuru squealed like a little girl. " _ **Stoooop! Kikuno, stop!"**_

"You'll have to get up."

" _ **I'm getting up! Stop it!"**_ Mitsuru finally crawled away from Kikuno and ran into the en suite bathroom.

"Lady Mitsuru had a terrible habit of trying to sleep in when she was a child," Kikuno told a gaping group of Operatives.

"I didn't know Senpai was ticklish," laughed Yukari.

"It's a secret only a few individuals were allowed to know," Kikuno explained, "No doubt she'll be angry with me for revealing it...but, she will have to be angry in the limousine."

"I wonder if Akihiko-san knew," Junpei said, smirking.

"I personally told both boys when Lady Mitsuru moved into the dorm."

"Scariest. Maid. **Ever**." Junpei muttered to Yukari.

Mitsuru slunk out of the bathroom with a halfhearted version of her death glare, which was everyone's cue to leave. They could hear Kikuno scolding her in French as they rushed back to what they'd been doing. "... _Vous n'etes pas un enfant! Vous avez vingt et un ans!_ _"_ It was sort of amusing to see the illustrious Mitsuru Kirijo get yelled at like a kid. They knew that only Kikuno could get away with it.

Fuuka had gone back to the computer files when she suddenly leapt up, the headphones falling off her head. "SENPAI!" she shrieked. Actual distress from her kohai had Mitsuru snapping to attention and she dashed out into the sitting room, her malaise forgotten. "I'm sorry, it...it just surprised me. I didn't find this video the first time!"

Mitsuru clicked on the video herself, and they were suddenly staring at the maniacally grinning face of Shuji Ikutsuki.

 _So, you've found these files at last, Mitsuru. You always were too clever for your own good._

 _Did you have a nice trip down Memory Lane? Are you ready for The Fall? Get it? Trip? Fall?_

God, that horrible laugh!

 _You know, it didn't have to be this way. For what it's worth, Mitsuru...I was always rather proud of you. You were one of the Kirijo Group's greatest creations. Perhaps you could have been some use to me when I became king of the new world. Oh, but I know what you're saying: "I would rather die!" You'd think someone of your intelligence would be able to see the wisdom in ending all humanity's pain and suffering, but...no. What a shame. You're too much like your beloved father to see reason._

 _Speaking of fathers...would it be too presumptuous to ask you to do something for me? I've left a few...unfinished projects that someone needs to take care of. One of them is a boy named Sho Minazuki. He would have been my own greatest creation, greater than anything your grandfather could have engendered, but something went wrong along the way. I don't think he'll ever awaken again, but he's currently recuperating in a Kirijo hospital in a little town called Inaba. The boy has severe attachment issues, and due to the fact that I performed the experiments myself, he came to consider me his father. I suppose that makes him my heir, though I have nothing of value for him to inherit. Looks like my "heir" is getting "air"! Ah-ha-ha! Ahem. All kidding aside, Mitsuru, Minazuki grew up in the lab. You may be the only one who truly understands what he's gone through. I leave him in your care._

So Mitsuru had failed again.

Things had been chaotic that fateful November, but she could have sworn someone went through Ikutsuki's belongings. His betrayal came as a shock to the entire company, but securing their future was more important at the time. He was dead, so he was shunted to the side. She should have looked herself. She should have reacted faster.

"He **did** care about Sho-kun," Labrys said sadly, "All this time, he thought he had nobody."

But she **had** tried...hadn't she? Minazuki hadn't given her a chance to ameliorate his situation. He wasn't Labrys; he hadn't wanted a way out. He put his trust in someone and they abandoned him.

"So, why didn't Ikutsuki ever say anything?" Iori asked.

Imperious, he'd called her. Domineering. Haughty. She just charged into the tournament to extract Labrys with little thought to who else had gotten themselves involved. They didn't even know there were other Persona-users living here, with their own hierarchy.

"He did, though. I guess he just expected us to find it years ago," said Yukari.

Public Safety clearly thought she was too young to run a task force. The board of directors felt the same way about Mitsuru running the Group. But it was _**her**_ group; _**she**_ was the Kirijo. Father had always meant for her to inherit the Group someday. They'd placed her in charge of SEES. She was born to command!

"I'm sorry that I couldn't crack these files earlier-"

"Oh, no one's blaming you, Fuuka..."

She was _**created**_ to command. They gave her a Persona and made her train and subdue it. If it had been up to Mitsuru, she'd have lived out her life like any other child – a privileged child, to be sure, but a child nonetheless.

Minazuki had been a child, too.

"We gotta find him. We just gotta!"

Was he scared when they stuck him? Did he realize that wasn't normal, that people weren't supposed to touch him in that way? That they were hurting him on purpose in the name of science?

"Naoto-san is still awaiting you, Milady."

What did the Shadows tell him?

"SENPAI!" A hand waved in front of her face. Yukari was beginning to shake her. "Where were you? Jeez, are you okay?"

"I'm..." _I'm tired. I'm scared. I'm in over my head._

 _I'm lost._

"Let's go," Mitsuru shook the cobwebs out of her head and hoped some fresh air would do her some good. "We need to end this. No one else is going to die for Kirijo,"

* * *

Nanako had gone to bed early, still a little confused, but too tired to argue about it. The sugar high she had from that afternoon had finally run its course, and she crashed.

Dojima put her to bed himself. Yu knew that he was trying to collect his thoughts, and it wasn't going to be pretty. He'd just assumed Naoto had told him about Teddie. Wasn't that the whole point of the meeting?

Teddie was beside himself with worry as Yosuke dragged him back home. He kept apologizing profusely, and both he and Yosuke insisted they should stay and help Yu explain, but Yu refused. If Dojima decided to arrest someone again, he'd rather it was him. He made the decision to introduce Teddie to Nanako, knowing he was a Shadow. He would deal with the consequences himself – even if it meant a one-way ticket back to Tokyo.

Dojima came back downstairs, his face grim. He refused to look at Yu as he immediately headed for the kitchen, coming back with a bottle of sake. "Sit," he said finally. Yu sat. All that was missing was a metal table and a low-hanging lamp.

Who would go first? Yu couldn't seem to form words as he tried to look at things from Dojima's perspective. Nanako was the most important person on Earth to him, and he'd already lost her once.

Dojima drained an entire glass of sake before sighing and looked at his nephew. "What the fuck, Yu?"

Okay, that caught him completely off-guard.

"I thought you were done lying to me."

"I've never lied to you in the first place," Yu countered, "You only assumed I did."

Dojima pointed to the door, even though Teddie was long gone by that point. "That...thing has been coming into my house-"

"He prefers to be called Teddie."

"He's not even HUMAN! You let something into **my** house, with **my** daughter... **that could have killed her**!?"

"Teddie would never hurt Nanako! He loves her!" Yu had leapt to his feet with what he felt was a valid point, only to realize he may have made it worse.

" **You don't know anything about him!** " Dojima also stood up, and he was still taller and more intimidating than Yu. "Namatame was a nice guy before he went mental!"

This hit Yu like a ton of bricks. Even if Teddie wasn't a Shadow...even if he was just a teen they'd met last year...he was sketchy as hell. Dojima had immediately noticed that Teddie failed to act his projected age. A teenager with the mentality of a child was already a red flag. At first glance, he was friendly, lovable, willing to please others...but was it an act? What if something happened and Teddie reverted back to the soulless creature they found in the TV World? They knew he was an anomaly; the Shadow Operatives were hesitant to believe that he was on their side. They'd never seen a good Shadow.

Dojima was right, of course. As much as Yu believed in Teddie, he had no concrete proof that he didn't have an ulterior motive. He had a Social Link.

"If I didn't think Teddie could be trusted, I wouldn't have let him near Nanako. You have my word, Uncle." Yu wasn't sure his word carried much weight, but he had to try. "Naoto must have explained to you how we all got our Personas. Teddie stood up to his Shadow and faced himself, just like the rest of us."

"So, a Shadow...has a Shadow?" Dojima looked less angry, but more confused."Why does he look human if he's a Shadow?"

Oh, boy. Dojima was never going to believe this. "He...grew a body by doing sit-ups." Dojima gave him the flattest expression ever. "I SWEAR, THAT'S WHAT HE TOLD US!" Yu threw up his hands.

"Who else knows about this stuff? Shirogane said you guys rescued everyone that was kidnapped – did you tell their parents about this?"

"I doubt any of them would believe us." Yu shook his head. "So far, the only adults in on this are you, Adachi," at this, Dojima flinched, "The Shadow Operatives, a detective in Iwatodai-"

"Kurosawa."

"-and Public Safety."

"No contacts?" Dojima was thinking like a cop. "Where'd you get weapons? First aid?" He tried to remember. "Hanamura had some swords he was swinging around Junes."

"We bought weapons from Diadara, and we had access to medicines and stuff. Believe me," clarified Yu, "no one ever asked. Diadara must've thought we were armor enthusiasts."

"How did you kids do this, and go to school, AND work a part-time job-"

"-I had, like, seven of them, actually. It wasn't easy, but it had to be done, and we were the ones who had to do it."

Dojima went quiet again, trying to process everything. After a long, nerve-wracking while, he cleared his throat. "I don't like this. I'm never going to like this. But even I can see that something's happening in this town that's putting Nanako and other kids in danger, and...I'm powerless to stop it."

"You're **not** powerless," Yu assured him, "The Shadows are only one enemy we're facing. Public Safety is very human, and very corrupt – and **that's** where we need your help. While we're working from within the TV World and Dark Hour, we need adults we can trust on the other side, adults with legal power," Yu chuckled and added, "Adults who are clearly not in Mitsuru-san's pocket."

"That Kirijo," Dojima began, and Yu braced himself for a diatribe, "She's not much older than you, is she? Jeez, she oughta be in college, getting married or something, not running around killing the boogeyman."

"Apparently, she's been doing this since she was Nanako's age," said Yu. "She does it so that kids like Nanako won't have to."

Dojima had finally awakened to his fatherly power. "None of you should have to." He looked his nephew over. "But I've learned one thing about you in the short time we've known each other: you're not the type to stand by when others are in trouble. The least I can do is support you."

"Thank you, Uncle." Yu's smile was genuine.

His phone chimed with some surprising news. "Add one more adult to the list," he said, "Naoto's brought her grandfather into the loop. We're, uh...supposed to meet up at his house to back her up, and I'm kind of the leader of the team..." He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot with an expression that basically said _Am I grounded?_

"Go on," Dojima chuckled, "Save the world. Your bed will still be here when you get back."

* * *

Mitsuru chose silent brooding over taking Kikuno to task. Not even being humiliated in front of her juniors was enough to break her out of her mood. Shirogane-san was going to take her head off for what her family had put Naoto and her friends through. He knew about Apathy Syndrome. From there, he could connect the dots and trace everything back to the Kirijo Group. Public Safety may have already done that for him, in fact. But surely he would see that his granddaughter was tenacious and inquisitive enough to have gotten involved on her own? She had engineered her own abduction in order to find a murderer! She could have died five times without even meeting Mitsuru!

But in the end, it was never about Mitsuru directly. It was Kirijo. She'd be cleaning up her grandfather's mess until she had reached his age. Hopefully, she would meet a much less ignominious end.

Shirogane had assembled the Investigation Team by the time the Shadow Operatives arrived at the estate. The usually jubilant Teddie appeared to be in a funk similar to her own. She had walked right by him, and he didn't make a pass at her. (Which was just as well, because someone might have realized that she had Akihiko's cape folded and tucked under her arm, hidden inside her coat.) They were shown into the parlor and shared a moment of anxiety between the 15 of them as they waited for the detective duo to arrive.

Hiraku Shirogane entered the room and still seemed to be his usual self. Naoto Shirogane, however, was subdued and slightly guilty. Mitsuru had little in the way of relating to her situation. The most embarrassing thing she'd ever had to confess to her father was buying the motorcycle. He hadn't really been angry, just concerned and surprised that his little girl wanted something so unrefined, immediately blaming the boys. He was quick to change his tune when he saw how Akihiko panicked like a little girl the first time he rode with her. Come to think of it, that was about the time Father began to worry less about _**Shinjiro**_ being the one he needed to keep an eye on...

Damn, she'd stopped paying attention again. That wasn't like her.

"My granddaughter has given me some very interesting news," Shirogane-san said rather casually, as if Naoto had just told him someone had stolen a book, "Am I to understand that everyone in this room aside from myself has some sort of special ability?" He appeared to be taking this well, unless he was just humoring them all before calling a psychiatrist.

"You believe us?" Narukami spoke for all of them.

"Naoto has never lied to me," said Shirogane-san, "Either you have deluded her into thinking you are all magical beings – which is highly unlikely – or you are indeed telling the truth."

Mitsuru was impressed. Here was another reason she'd initially wanted Shirogane-san as their Inaba contact – he was rational. He would more than likely want proof, though. She didn't really feel like summoning at the moment.

"Yes," she heard herself saying, "We call them Personas."

"The facet of one's self one presents to the world?"

"Leaving Jung behind for a moment, we prefer to think of them as one's true self, capable of being summoned when one's resolve is tested. We've only just discovered that these summoning methods are varied." He seemed so kind and understanding that Mitsuru was afraid she'd began crying if she had to delve into the sordid history of SEES. "I can supply you with the relevant documents if you wish to familiarize yourself with this, but the long and short of it is that only Persona-users are capable of defeating Shadows."

Narukami, bless him, decided to take over. "If it wasn't for our Personas, we'd never have solved last year's murder case. The culprit was also a Persona-user. He used his power to throw people into the TV World, where they had to face their Shadow alone, and..." he looked at Hanamura for some reason, "without a Persona, they were killed."

"And you define 'Shadow' as...?"

Shirogane took over. "Your Shadow is the manifestation of all the things you try to hide from the world; all of your fears and anxieties, things you don't want to admit to yourself," she said. "Facing your Shadow is essentially facing yourself. We are operating under the assumption that the victims were unable to acknowledge their Shadows, and therefore succumbed to their fears."

Shirogane-san reached into his pocket and withdrew a pair of glasses, and when he put them on, Shirogane tensed. "Public Safety has less-than-subtly hinted that they have damning evidence not only against yourself and your associates, Kirijo-san, but my granddaughter as well. I'm sure I don't need to impress upon you how serious these accusations are."

"Yes, well, equally as serious are the entirely false accusations that I am a murderer and kidnapper – which is why I've been requesting your assistance from the start. I'm less concerned with the smear campaign than I am for these innocent victims." If she just kept telling herself that, maybe she'd start to believe it herself. Now was not the time to be selfish. "We have absolutely no leads left. If I haven't stolen these children, and the Shadows haven't stolen them, then who on Earth has?"

It was supposed to be a rhetorical question...but Labrys hadn't been programmed to recognize rhetorical questions yet. "You mean ya don't think Sho-kun did it?"

Minazuki. _You may be the only one who truly understands what he's gone through._ Mitsuru wanted to ignore her, but Shirogane-san had taken notice.

"Ah, your rogue element," he said.

Well, the man **did** have to know everything in order to assist. "No doubt Public Safety has already informed you of my blunder, but suffice it to say that Sho Minazuki is a boy with a massive grudge against the Kirijo Group. He's unstable, and easily manipulated."

"So, there's a motive," said Shirogane-san, "but the means?"

"This is where everything falls flat. Minazuki previously had a villainous split personality, capable of using others as puppets to commit various crimes – including kidnapping."

"However...?"

"He said he couldn't hear the 'Minazuki' part anymore," Labrys cut in, "That guy's gone. It's just Sho-kun."

"Yes, thank you, Labrys. As I was saying...Minazuki no longer retains that ability, which means he would physically need to abduct and murder his victims."

"Ah," Shirogane-san said again. In spite of his age, there was a youthful gleam in his eye. The game was afoot. "I believe I have information that could remove this young man from the list of suspects. Tell me, about how tall would you say this Minazuki-kun is?"

"He's kinda tall," Labrys replied at about the same time Mitsuru was musing, "He may be Akihiko's height."

Shirogane, who was no doubt sensitive to these things, interjected, "He isn't nearly as tall as Kanji-kun, but may reach his shoulder...I'd say 5'6, 5'7?"

"The measurements of the late Himura-san were a height of six feet, and a weight of nearly 180 pounds." Shirogane-san reported, "which would make subduing him from behind – the hypothetical method proposed by the police – fairly difficult." This was interesting. Mitsuru wasn't given details about any of the murders she'd allegedly committed or had committed for her. Then again, she hadn't actually asked. "Also, Tokei-san's neck retained several hand prints from her assailant...rather large hand prints. The size suggests an adult male."

Labrys was jubilant. "So he didn't kill anybody!"

"So, what's his dumb ass doin' here, then? Just gettin' in the way?" grumbled Tatsumi.

"He seemed convinced he was just here to stall us while the kidnappings were taking place," Narukami remembered, "Either that was just a huge coincidence, or he knew what was happening. Also, he came to Tokyo and all but told me something was happening in Inaba, and I needed to get back here."

"Perhaps we were right the first time, and Minazuki is indeed being manipulated by Public Safety," said Shirogane.

"But why?" Labrys asked, "He doesn't care about other people."

"He cares enough about Mitsuru-senpai to want her dead," Yukari argued. Mitsuru couldn't really blame her for being angry on her behalf, but she knew the anger wasn't really directed at Minazuki. Akihiko needed to be here for this. For her.

"So they're offering him something." Shirogane and her grandfather had both taken up positions at Shirogane-san's desk; he in a chair, and she perched on the edge like a paperweight. "Aside from revenge against the Kirijo Group, what would Minazuki want?"

"Information that I'm afraid we do not have," replied Mitsuru. "Either he wishes to regain his split personality, or he's looking for information on his biological family – which would have disappeared alongside Ikutsuki."

"Could Public Safety get that?" wondered Iori.

"Possibly, if the information still exists," answered Shirogane-san. "However, it's not simply a matter of entering a name into a search engine. It would require extensive research, and would more than likely take several months. Something tells me that Public Safety is not willing to put in the time and effort required for the sake of one volatile boy."

"Even if that boy might be the key to Mitsuru-san's downfall?" asked Aigis.

"At this point, no more evidence is needed," said Shirogane-san, and Mitsuru tensed. They had told him everything. "Public Safety believes Kirijo-san is engineering her own necessity."

Everyone in the room capable of breathing stopped.

* * *

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The more I think about it, Teddie is less like Anime!Meowth and more like Angel, the vampire with a soul. He's basically a species traitor, a Shadow who hunts and kills Shadows, and is in love with quite a few human girls (though they don't share his feelings).

I feel sorry for Dojima. He's a good cop, and he'd do anything to protect his daughter, but he can't just arrest the Shadows. He can't get into the TV World on his own, and he's a coffin during the Dark Hour. Imagine being unable to protect your loved ones, no matter how hard you try.

The wiki doesn't list a height for Sho, but he looked fairly tall.


	21. Empress of Shadows

You knew it was coming.

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* * *

Across town, Dojima had been contemplating another glass of sake while waiting for Yu to come home. _What has that kid gotten himself into?_ He wanted to go grab him, bring him back here, get him to do his homework and put him to bed as well, but he knew Yu wasn't Nanako's age. He wasn't a child. He was growing into a man who put others first and helped people in the name of truth and justice.

 _He's a better cop than me._

It certainly didn't mean that he couldn't worry about him, though. He'd promised his sister he'd keep an eye on her boy, and twice now, he'd let Yu go off and nearly get himself killed. It was tempting to blame Kirijo...but Yu insisted she was just as much a victim, that she had to get herself killed too because she had no choice. As a father and uncle, this worried him. It occurred to him at the bottom of another glass that this is what the Public Safety people were counting on; fear of something you didn't understand coming after your children. It was going to be another media circus, and Inaba didn't need another round of show trials. But what could he do?

The stairs creaked. Nanako was out of bed, and she sounded like she was crying. "Go away! Why won't you go away?"

"Nanako, you're having another dream. Time to go back to bed." Dojima tried to lead Nanako back to her room, but Nanako wasn't asleep. She was awake and pale as a ghost. "What's wrong?"

"They don't want the kids anymore," she sobbed, "They want Mitsuru-san. They're angry now, and they keep yelling 'Kirijo'. Dad, I don't want them to get her!"

"Okay, okay. Hey, calm down. Isn't that what Yu always says?" Think, Dojima! "He said everyone was going to Shirogane's." He grabbed his phone, and barely managed to fumble Yu's number.

Nanako was curled up beside him desperately covering her ears. "Every day's great at your Junes..." she warbled.

"Dammit! No answer!" Yu was in danger, and he was powerless again.

No.

He was not going to sit back and let a bunch of kids take on the world by themselves again.

"Nanako? Can you put – can you stop singing for a second? Sweetie, can you put your shoes on for me? We've got to save your Big Bro this time." He grabbed his phone again, this time dialing the precinct. "Suzuki? It's Dojima. Look, I know it's late, but I need you to get me anything you can find on Public Safety and have it on my desk by tomorrow. Yes, that's what I said!" He bundled Nanako into the car and prayed that he would make it in time.

* * *

"What." Junpei was the only one who managed to speak, and he clearly spoke for all of them.

Grampa continued. "The existence of the Shadow Operatives is based on the need for special forces to deal with cases involving Shadows. However, nearly all of the Shadow cases on record have directly involved Kirijo-san."

"But what about our case?" Yosuke asked. "We didn't even know Mitsuru-san and the others existed last year." The others murmured their agreement. Naoto decided not to mention that she had indeed known of the Kirijo Group's existence.

"A branch of Inaba Municipal is owned by the Kirijo Group. In fact, Minazuki-kun was housed there...all throughout the serial murder case...placed there by the Group themselves."

Mitsuru was aghast. "That's preposterous, and you know it!"

"Okay, no," Yukari agreed, "Senpai's not a Featherman villain."

"Sho-kun was in a coma!" Labrys protested, "And he hates the Kirijo Group! Why would he ever work with them?"

"I think you're forgetting a crucial point here," Naoto decided to interject, "These accusations don't have to be proven true. They only have to publish them, and word of mouth will take care of the rest. Most people generally don't stop and think about the validity of rumors, especially salacious ones. If Public Safety can't ruin Mitsuru-san directly, they can certainly ruin her business."

"They're also gonna ruin yours," said Kanji. "You were supposed to work for them, but you sided with Mitsuru-san instead. Who's gonna hire a detective that helps scam people?" His concern for her was touching, and even Grampa seemed pleasantly surprised. Naoto found herself unable to look him in the eye.

Gravity seemed to hit Mitsuru all at once as she slumped back onto the sofa, her forgotten jaw still slightly open, somewhere far, far away. Naoto could only imagine how much of a blow this news had been. As a woman in a man's world, she struggled to just get work. Mitsuru had to **lead** men like Suzuki and Dojima ...and Adachi as well. She was already branded too young, too emotional and weak due to her sex. If Mitsuru lost the public's trust, she could kiss the Kirijo Group goodbye.

"Hey," Yu piped up, "We can do this, though. Dojima-san's finally on board. He's going to help us fight back Public Safety. It's not over."

"It's never going to be over," said Mitsuru. She looked utterly defeated. Now would ordinarily be the time that Akihiko piped up with some reaffirming statement or hamfisted redirection about protein or training...but he wasn't here, and Mitsuru looked to be feeling his absence harder than ever.

Yakushiji opened the door to the study, presenting Dojima and Nanako, half-dressed and panicked. Naoto could swear she smelled sake. And why was Teddie hiding?

"Y-you kids all right?" Dojima stammered. "Er...sorry to intrude, I'm Ryotaro Dojima. You know my daughter."

Nanako had been shaking, clinging to her father's shirt with one hand while covering her ear with the other. She ran to Mitsuru, and tearfully told her, "They're coming for you." What little color left in Mitsuru's face drained completely away.

Fuuka and Rise looked at one another, and since Rise still couldn't summon, she could only offer to hold Fuuka's hand while she timidly raised her Evoker. Grampa made a move towards her, but Naoto stopped him with what she hoped was a reassuring hand. "This is the way the Shadow Operatives call their Personas," she explained. Thankfully, Fuuka's Persona was the one that wasn't destructive.

With the bubble holding both girls, their powers seemed to reach even farther. "The Shadows really **are** gathering!" Fuuka cried.

What interested Naoto more was the fact that they actually saw Kanzeon flicker in and out of existence, as if Juno's bubble was strong enough to amplify Rise's Persona in the real world.

"These aren't just everyday Shadows, either," said Rise, "I've never seen anything so powerful."

Dojima turned to Grampa. "Do you know what the hell's going on?"

"I'd wager that I am just as much in the dark as you are," Grampa told him. He did not seem frightened, however. In fact, if Naoto didn't know any better, Grampa appeared to be formulating a plan.

Mitsuru, on the other hand, was giving into fear. She was rubbing her wrists without realizing it again. She had no answer to Yukari's, "What do we do, Senpai?", except to sigh and cover her face with her hands. The leader of the Shadow Operatives was completely helpless.

"I myself would like a nice cup of tea," Grampa decided, and the entire room stared at him. Naoto had to laugh. What seemed like the most oddball idea at the time was usually the key to clearing one's befuddled mind, making it easier to find the solution that eluded you. "I'd wager Kirijo-san could use some tea as well." He opened the door to summon Yakushiji.

"You got any strong black coffee instead?" asked Dojima.

"Coffee, tea...Naoto was fond of hot cocoa as a girl, especially when allowed a bit of whipped cream on top."

"Grampa!"

Nanako perked up. "I like cocoa, too! With marshmallows!"

"Do we have marshmallows, Yakushiji?" Their poor butler looked confused. "Oh, dear, it appears Yakushiji has no idea what a marshmallow is, the poor fellow. If only we had an expert."

"Oh, I can help! I know what marshmallows look like!" Nanako leapt off the couch and skipped after Yakushiji. "Dad doesn't buy the right kind, either. I told him to get the little bitty ones. Do you shop at Junes? They have all kinds of different marshmallows: big ones, little ones, coconut ones – I don't like the coconut ones..." She continued praising Junes marshmallows all the way down the hall, with Dojima shaking his head as he followed her.

With Nanako out of the room, Grampa approached the Shadow Operatives. "This is a rather extreme measure for accessing your power. May I?" He gestured to Fuuka's Evoker, and she handed it over. He began muttering to himself, "A direct hit to the amygdala...so there's a physiological aspect as well?"

"We don't need to use them in the TV World," Naoto was quick to point out, "it's much easier to concentrate on summoning your Persona in that environment." She didn't want him to worry about his only granddaughter accidentally shooting herself in the head.

"But are you able to?" Grampa asked.

"I, uh..."

"Theoretically." Mitsuru appeared to be feeling better after watching Nanako return to her own cheerful self. "As you suspected, it triggers a 'fight or flight' reaction, which in Persona-users, activates their power. However, it's not as simple as just-"

"I want to try it!" Teddie suddenly cut in. He took the Evoker from Grampa's hand and had it to his head before anyone could interject. Then he froze. "Waah!"

"-because, as we previously discussed, a Plume of Dusk is essentially **a Shadow.** " Mitsuru took the Evoker and passed it back to Fuuka.

"A NASTY Shadow with a big potty mouth!" said Teddie as his suit pouted.

"In **Fuuka's** Evoker?" Junpei gaped. "That's the last place you'd expect it!"

"Perhaps...Yu-senpai should try it?" Naoto suggested. He was the only one who'd managed to summon in the real world, after all.

Mitsuru shook her head. "I am not okay with this at all..." Neither was Yu, if the expression on his face was any indication. "However, if you're going to attempt it, you might want to do so before Nanako returns."

Yu nodded almost comically. "Y-yeah." He actually looked nervous. He took Fuuka's obscenity-spewing Evoker and raised it to his head, opting to tuck it behind his ear like he'd seen the Operatives do. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, and... "Persona!"

The towering figure of Izanagi-no-Okami stretched to the ceiling, to the thunderous applause of the Investigation Team.

"You did it, Senpai!" Rise launched herself at Yu and nearly knocked him down. Whatever subliminal message the Shadow imparted must have sapped his energy.

"Hmm. Well done," said Mitsuru.

Dojima and Nanako returned with drinks, only for Nanako to nearly drop her cocoa. "Oh! It's Big Bro's...um..." She remembered Yu's Persona from that one night?

As Izanagi dissipated, Teddie crept timidly over to Nanako. "N-Nana-chan?" He looked as if he were going to cry. "Hello..."

"Hi, Teddie! I brought you some cocoa because I know you like sweet things, too."

Relief washed over Teddie's face, and the tears appeared. "Oh, Nana-chan! Nothing's sweeter than you!"

Mitsuru smiled for the first time that night.

* * *

Mitsuru would have chosen to spend the rest of her life in this moment, if it were up to her. This was how one's childhood should be; carefree and innocent, not tainted with Shadows and the adult concept of death. Nanako's future was wide open, with endless possibilities available to her. "Dojima" wouldn't loom over her head like a Shadow.

They were interrupted by Koromaru barking wildly out the window. "He says that a massive amount of Shadows have gathered outside," translated Aigis.

"Holy shit, he's right!" Tatsumi agreed as he joined the dog. "Look at 'em!"

A horribly undulating black mass was coalescing and pulsating at the end of Shirogane's driveway. Tendrils extended and groped in their direction, beckoning. Nanako buried her face in her father's stomach, shaking with sobs as she held on to him for dear life.

Mitsuru wondered just how inappropriate it would be for her to do so as well.

"It appears we've underestimated the enemy, and allowed them to corner us," Shirogane-san, minus the fear any mortal man should have at this stage, observed with a calm, steady voice. "I had always assumed this house would be properly fortified against any siege, however..."

"They won't attack anyone if they get what they want," replied Mitsuru. A sharp pain in her skull told her that Artemisia disagreed with the idea she found there, but Mitsuru pressed on. "but remain on alert regardless."

Koromaru growled, his fur standing up on edge. Behind her, Mitsuru heard the familiar whirring of Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons activating. The Shadow Operatives – her friends – were armed and awaiting orders. They would stand by her until the very end, at the cost of their own lives. Narukami had a tarot card in his extended palm, and though the rest of the Investigation Team were unable to summon, they stood ready to fight with whatever means necessary to protect their town and its people.

Detective Hiraku Shirogane, unafraid, stood with them. "On your word, Kirijo-san."

"No."

That was her word.

Turning away from them so they wouldn't see the tears their solidarity had caused, Mitsuru repeated, "No one else will die for Kirijo." She'd made up her mind. The Shadows wanted Kirijo. They were going to get her. _This is what I am doing here, Narukami. It's the only thing I know how to do._ A tremor ripped its way through her heart. Was this how Yuki had felt?

* * *

They had almost reached Okina City. A full moon was never a good omen.

Akihiko couldn't sense Shadows like Mitsuru or Fuuka, but even he knew that something dangerous was brewing. They'd come across dozens of Shadows tonight, but the damn things didn't stick around long enough to fight. They blatantly ignored him as they kept moving eastward.

Towards Inaba.

 _Shit. Shit!_

If there was any juice left in his sore, aching body, please let it kick in now.

* * *

The first to cry out was little Nanako. "No, no! Don't go, Mitsuru-san!" she sobbed. She was so young, and she'd already cried way too many tears.

Mitsuru managed to crouch and meet the child's eyes. "There's no need to be frightened anymore," she reassured her.

"I'm scared you won't come back!"

 _So am I._

"Oh, now, what makes you think I won't come back, hmm?" Mitsuru stood and removed her coat, failing to notice its stowaway fall to the floor as she draped it over Nanako's shoulders. "I'll always come back for this, remember? I'm entrusting it to you. Don't let me down, _ma petite_."

"Senpai, what are you doing?" Yukari had no doubt caught on to her plan.

"You're not going out there, are you?" So had Iori.

Mitsuru took a moment to reach out to her friends. They were good people. They wouldn't let a loss of one of their members keep them from their goal. "Keep the others safe," she said, "Don't let any Inaba users patrol without at least one Operative. Defer to Narukami if necessary."

"Senpai, no-!"

She turned away again. "Aigis."

"Understood!"

She kept the image of Nanako in her mind as she opened the doors. The vile stench of Shadows nearly caused her to vomit as she stepped out into the night. It was nearly impossible to see; the miasma threatened to block out the moon itself. She let Artemisia guide her to the street, and for an instant felt the communicative Persona-users keeping an eye on her. It left her just as suddenly as it came, replaced by a bone-chilling wave of death and emptiness. The Shadows had found her.

It was like nothing she'd ever experienced. The Shadows that had swarmed upon Yasogami!Tartarus had been mindless, like pawns set up to sacrifice themselves. These Shadows had a goal, and they moved as one. Sensing prey, they oozed up the driveway. Artemisia begged, pleaded to be set free, but Mitsuru blocked her out.

"WAIT!"

 _That voice...!_

Someone must have alerted the others, because behind Mitsuru, Persona-users poured out, and in front of her...

A body hit the ground and skidded to a halt right between Mitsuru and the Shadows. Filthy, battered and bruised, they weren't getting up any time soon.

"SHO-KUN!" Labrys used her jets to propel herself down the driveway.

 _Minazuki? But then-_

Oh, she wanted to punch him. Turn all his training and tips right back on his idiotic face! Why had he left her exactly when she needed him the most? But then he moved forward into the dim light, and she saw the fear and worry in his eyes, and she wanted to hold him tighter than she ever had and never let him go.

 _ **Akihiko.**_

* * *

Naoto had been hesitant to get her grandfather involved for this very reason.

The Shadow Operatives were beside themselves with fear for their leader. Fuuka had already begun crying, and Rise stayed with her in Juno's sphere, trembling. With the Shadows gathering, it was too dark to see properly, but they could just make out Mitsuru edging down the driveway, head held high in spite of the terror she must have been experiencing. She stopped at the curb, and the Shadows began moving towards her.

Fuuka leapt up, breaking her Persona's spell. "Akihiko-senpai is back!"

It was Yukari who moved first, followed by Labrys. Everyone all but flew down the driveway, hoping to change Mitsuru's mind. Sho had returned, and although he appeared to be grievously injured, he could be questioned! Perhaps they'd finally have their answers!

But Mitsuru wasn't wavering. Even as Akihiko approached her, she remained outwardly emotionless.

"You okay?" Akihiko sounded exhausted.

Mitsuru had an eerie smile on her face, as if she'd just resolved some inner conflict. "It's over now."

"Akihiko-san!"

"Senpai!" The Shadow Operatives broke ranks and tried to get Akihiko's attention. "Stop her!"

"Go." Mitsuru turned just enough for Naoto to see that her face was streaked with tears. "The others need you."

"They need both of us. Mitsuru, what-what are you doing?" They spent a good minute staring each other down until a sarcastic voice cut in.

"Kiss and make up already, **before we all get eaten!** " Sho was conscious, and screaming at the couple who seemed to have forgotten there were Shadows all around them. Unfortunately, the Shadows had noticed him right back, and realized he was injured.

Mitsuru finally summoned her Persona, and a collective sigh rose up among the spectators...only to turn into a confused gasp when she used it to heal Sho.

Akihiko reached for her, but she quickly became too cold for him to touch. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked again. "Mitsuru, this piece of shit is going to undo your entire life! Just let the Shadows have him!"

"I can't!"

"He'd do the same to you in a second! Why does it even matter to you?"

"Because," Mitsuru sobbed openly now, "we're the same."

The Shadows were circling like vultures, enclosing Sho in a cyclone of death. Labrys had almost reached them. Akihiko decided to take the hit and pulled a pair of gloves out of his pocket so he could grab Mitsuru without getting frostbite. Just as everything began to go crazy...

" **STOP!"**

Mitsuru's commanding voice was so terrifying that even the Shadows paused. They watched in horror as she pulled out her sword and sliced into her arm. Blood dripped onto the asphalt – but it was when the blood gathered and began moving toward the Shadows like a slot car that Nanako screamed.

And then they heard it. It began like the wind on a stormy night before the rain set in, but quickly got louder and chilled their bones just as much. The Shadows were speaking so that everyone could hear them.

 _...Kiri...jo..._

"No," said Naoto softly as the other shoe dropped and she realized what was happening too late to stop it.

"NO!" yelled Akihiko as the Shadows prevented him from intervening while they switched focus to Mitsuru.

But it was too late. They heard Mitsuru's scream muffled as the Shadows engulfed her with a force strong enough to lift her off the ground. The Shadows were gagging her, entering her mouth, nose, and ears. Her sword fell out of her hands as she gripped her throat to no avail. Exhaustion had finally caught up with Akihiko as he slumped to the ground, naked terror on his face, one hand frozen in its outstretched position. As the clouds parted and the moon flashed into view, hurting their eyes, Mitsuru went limp. Her body dropped to the ground like an empty wrapper.

"Mi-" Akihiko crawled over to her, gingerly reaching out to touch her hair that was splayed on the road like a smashed tomato. His hand came back with blood all over it, and his body shook with sobs. " _ **Why am I never strong enough?**_ " he wailed.

" _ **SENPAI!"**_ Yukari shrieked and tore down the driveway, sobbing as she attempted to revive Mitsuru. The spells just bounced right off. Yukiko ran to help, but Naoto stopped her, shaking her head sadly. There was nothing that could be done. As Koromaru howled in grief, Naoto removed her hat and bowed her head in mourning for the courageous woman she'd grown to respect.

No one knew what to say to Akihiko.

* * *

pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

The amygdala:

If Plumes of Dusk are pieces of Shadows, and Teddie is a Shadow, he might actually be able to talk to them – and I imagine they'd say something like "Filthy traitor!"


	22. Totality

The darkest moment.

ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

* * *

If Yukari's grief had been painful, Kikuno's was downright gut-wrenching.

They'd somehow managed to get everyone to the hospital, but Yu was one of the only people in any shape to call her, taking Mitsuru's own phone from a trembling Aigis. Yukari was collapsed on the floor, sobbing. Fuuka was leaning on her, seemingly going into a grieving trance. Even Naoto – calm, collected Naoto – was sniffling and leaning on Kanji's side. But it was Akihiko they were worried about, pressed up against the door of the ICU room, not moving, not speaking. He would not let Mitsuru go until one of the doctors threatened to have him removed, and then he grudgingly let them take her, arms dropping to his sides, as limp as hers.

By the time they'd remembered Minazuki had been there, he was already gone again. He couldn't give a shit less that someone had just died right in front of him to save his pathetic life. Yu really wanted to go after him, but he knew that no one would feel like going with him, and it was too dangerous to go by himself.

Someone had to keep him from killing the boy.

The noise of the helicopter had barely come to a stop before Kikuno came barreling in through the doors, frantically taking in all the crying Operatives and coming to the sad conclusion. "Milady? MILADY?!" She barged into the room and threw herself on the bed. "NO! **NOOO**! **PLEASE, NO!"** Doctors scrambled to remove her, but she held on for dear life. "NO! I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF HER! I SWORE I WOULD TAKE CARE OF HER! **I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF HER PLEEEEAASE!** MILADY! MILADY I'M GOING TO T-TAKE C-CARE OF YOU! LET GO OF ME! I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF HER!" She collapsed into tears, and by now, even Junpei and Ken were unabashedly crying.

Finally, Labrys and Aigis had to go in and remove Kikuno, who had amazingly fought off five doctors to get to her beloved lady.

What were five doctors even _**doing**_ in there? Mitsuru was dead...wasn't she?

Yu had one horrible flashback after another about being in this very hospital while doctors worked to save Nanako. He remembered her taking her last breath, crying for her father. And it was his fault. He failed to take care of her. That kind of guilt made you do crazy things.

Kikuno had finally noticed Akihiko, and she made her way over to him...and slapped him as hard as she could, hard enough for an unresistant Akihiko to fly back and hit the wall. "HOW DARE YOU?" she fumed, "HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE AFTER EVERYTHING YOU PUT HER THROUGH?!

YOU **LEFT** HER AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN BE BOTHERED TO LET HER KNOW YOU WERE ALIVE!" Akihiko didn't even defend himself. He just slid down the wall, fresh tears pouring. No one else thought to address her hypocrisy, either. "SHE _**CRIED**_ FOR YOU! SHE SPENT EACH AND EVERY NIGHT WAITING FOR YOU TO RETURN! SHE COULDN'T SLEEP, SHE WOULDN'T EAT...SHE CEASED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU!" When she continued to advance on Akihiko, Yu decided it was time to step in. "YOU KILLED HER AND YET YOU DARE TO ACT AS IF YOU'RE SORRY! **YOU MURDERED HER!** "

"Kikuno-san, calm down, please!" Yu had no idea if this was normal for the indigo-haired maid. Labrys had had nothing but praise for her competence and efficiency. She was clearly closer to Mitsuru than a maid and employer normally were.

Labrys was able to pick Kikuno up like a rag doll as Aigis stood between them and Akihiko. "Wait, Kikuno-san! We're tryin' to tell ya there's a chance **Mitsuru-san may be alive!** "

No execution was needed to freeze the entire hallway.

This finally got Akihiko's attention. "What?" he croaked.

"Aigis?" Yukari gasped.

Aigis spoke up next. "It was very faint, but I am positive I detected a heartbeat. She may not be breathing, but Mitsuru-san still shows some sign of life." Still, the android looked pensive.

Kikuno stopped screaming, but she still struggled against Labrys. "I must get in there!" she insisted.

On his right, Yu noticed that Naoto had stopped crying, and her brain was beginning to work. Good, this was a good sign, Naoto was on the case and so they were bound to find something...

A doctor finally came out of the room, but his puzzled expression did not comfort them. "I'm not sure what to tell you," he began, "We still detect some brain activity, but we can't seem to figure out why she won't revive. Her head wound wasn't severe enough to kill her. Something has caused her to stop breathing, but we can't get a read on her lungs. It's as if there's something blocking them, but nothing shows up on the x-rays. We've got her on a ventilator, but unless we can figure out what's wrong...I'm afraid there's not much we can do."

"Sensei!" Teddie began poking and prodding Yu to get his attention.

"Hold on, Teddie!" Yu waved him away.

A nurse came down the hall with a folder. "Doctor, the ultrasound shows absolutely nothing! There's no reason why Kirijo-san shouldn't be breathing!"

Now Teddie had taken to dancing in front of Yu, waving his hands. "Sensei, that's-"

"Teddie, stop!"

"What are you saying?" cried Kikuno, "Are you implying that Lady Mitsuru simply CHOSE to stop breathing?"

With Yu as a lost cause, Teddie turned his attention elsewhere. "Nao-chan, you remember, don't you?"

But Naoto would not indulge him, either. "Teddie, I am trying to think. There is something odd about the doctors' findings."

Teddie had finally had enough, and began sparkling, shouting, "IT'S MEEEEE! I'M THE SOMETHING ODD!" He threw off the top half of his costume.

Yu facepalmed. "Excuse us, please." He and Naoto dragged Teddie off into a corner. "Teddie! Why are you being like this? We can't give you attention right now – Mitsuru-san is dying!"

"But Sensei, I'm a Shadow, remember?"

"Of _course_ I remember, but what's that got to-"

Teddie jumped up and down. "There's nothing inside me!"

Naoto gasped. "He's right! Senpai, do you remember when we had Teddie looked at? The x-rays came back completely blank. **Medical technology isn't able to detect Shadows.** Aigis-san and Labrys-san were specially created by the Kirijo Group for that purpose."

Teddie beamed. "I knew you'd figure it out, Nao-chan! You're so smart...and cute...and available..." They ignored his flirting as they dragged him back to the others to share the news.

"There are Shadows killing Lady Mitsuru from the inside?" Kikuno asked, and Yu mentally kicked himself as he realized he'd forgotten to tell her exactly what happened.

"She sort of...swallowed them," he replied.

"It was awful," Ken mumbled. He looked like he'd been marooned over by the water fountain. Koromaru couldn't come inside and probably didn't want to, as he was sticking to Nanako like glue. The poor teen had nothing to do with his hands except wring them.

Naoto had gone silent again. When she did speak up, it was with her "serious voice", and there was a dark look in her eyes. "The Shadows have managed to obstruct Mitsuru-san's breathing and, unless something can be done quickly, will most likely stop her heart as well. The doctors are unable to detect Shadows, so it will appear that she has dropped dead for no apparent reason. Any autopsies will no doubt say the same thing: no apparent cause of death."

Something twigged in Yu's brain...but it was Yosuke who spoke first. "Saki-senpai and Ms. Yamano."

"Indeed. We appear to have found our cause of death for last year's victims."

A thump interrupted the Investigation Team's brief moment of shared celebration; Akihiko had pressed himself against the door again, his head hitting the glass as if he'd hoped to touch Mitsuru through it.

"Then the doctors can't do anything," said Junpei. His friends all shared the same faraway look of helplessness. With the Empress removed, the Shadow Operatives would fall apart like a house of cards. It reminded Yu way too much of their own grieving.

 _No. Not again._

"But **we** can!" Yu was the leader here now, and he wasn't about to sit idly by. "If the Shadows are killing Mitsuru-san, then we kill the Shadows!"

Akihiko lifted his head as he finally boarded this train of thought. Most of the other Operatives were coming around as well. Even Kikuno's eyes lit up.

Naoto quickly derailed them. "It's too risky! We don't know just how many Shadows are in there, or how powerful they are. In her weakened state, Mitsuru-san isn't going to fare well against a strong Persona attack." She had a point, but they were running out of time, and it was their only option.

"There are too many doctors in the room," Kikuno pointed out, "How will we get them to leave?"

"Teddie has an idea!" Teddie proudly declared.

"Well, getting in the way of shit is kinda your specialty, but...are you sure, Teddie?" Yosuke asked him.

"I'll do it for Mitchan," he replied, an uncharacteristic look of seriousness on his bear face. This seemed to be the catalyst for everyone getting on board, all sharing the same grim determination to save one of their own. He slipped away before Yu could ask him what his plan was, though.

Barring Kikuno who could not, there was only one person who was both willing to do anything for Mitsuru and had enough strength to pull it off. "Akihiko-san."

Akihiko wrenched the door to Mitsuru's room open, and a doctor came out to chastise him. Before he got the chance, however...

"BARK, BARK! BARK-BARK-BARK-BARK!"

"Ha-ha! You can do better than that, _Slowromaru!_ I'm running circles around you, and I'm bearly out of breath!" The hospital was alive with chaos as Teddie came running in with Koromaru hot on his heels. Orderlies began chasing the pair, knocking over gurneys in their haste. The chase scene came right down the hall and aimed directly for Mitsuru's room.

"What is going on out here?" Her doctors stuck their heads out of the room. "We are trying to save a patient!"

One of them sneezed. "What's a dog doing in here? I'm allergic to dogs!"

"WHOOOOOOOO!"

"BARK-BARK-BARK! BARK-BARK-BARK!"

Teddie and Koromaru dashed in through the door and made a beeline for the allergic doctor, forcing everyone to drop what they were doing and chase after them. They circled the room a few times before leading everyone out into the hallway. As he came by, Teddie shouted, "GO, AKKY, GO!"

Akihiko dove forward, but Naoto literally threw herself in front of him at the last second. "Wait! Too much of a shock could **actually** kill her!"

But she had underestimated Akihiko's strength as – to her squeaking disbelief – he picked her up by her sides and unceremoniously dumped her in Kanji's lap. No less than four people immediately reached for a tissue or napkin.

Mitsuru lay unmoving in the hospital bed, machines dwarfing her small frame. Akihiko faltered for a second as he gingerly moved them away from her and caressed her porcelain face. Forgoing his Evoker, he brought his hands together like giant defibrillator paddles and zapped Mitsuru's chest with all the power he could muster, crying out in rage, grief, and pain. The lights in the hospital flickered and died.

When the emergency power came on, it revealed Human Teddie rejoining them, gasping for breath and clutching his side. "Did it work?"

* * *

Mitsuru couldn't breathe.

She was running...where? She couldn't remember, but her chest was throbbing and the sweat poured off of her as she felt compelled to move forward towards...what?

Artemisia – a corporeal Artemisia – was by her side, urging her on. "We must go, _Autre Moi!_ Forward!" She snapped her whip towards a flight of stairs.

Stairs? Was this Tartarus?

Her own voice was hoarse and strained. "How...what floor is this? Where?"

"Quickly! This way!"

"How many floors?"

But Artemisia simply pushed her forward. She climbed endlessly until she could physically go no further and collapsed to her knees. "I can't..."

"You must!"

Motion out of the corner of her eye distracted her. A fluttering cape, blood red and shining silver dancing triumphantly together, the world itself in his grasp.

Mitsuru's eyes widened. "Is that-"

* * *

A huge, shuddering gasp heralded Mitsuru's return to the living.

Where...where was she? Dark, sterile, beeping-PAIN, NEEDLES! NO! Something was on her chest. Something was in her mouth and her arm and she could not move and it hurt and IT HURTS AND there is yelling and screaming and a horrible noise MILADY! SENPAI! MITCHAN! BARK! MITSURU OH GOD MITSURU! TH-THANK G-GOD IT W-WORKED...crying and crying and crying everything was cold and it smelled of death and...and HOSPITAL and fear and blood and THE PAIN IS EVERYWHERE IT HURTS SO MUCH and there are STRANGE MEN touching and touching and machines with needles and voices MITSURU MITSURU hands hands WARM HANDS AKIHIKO! AKIHIKO HELP ME and he's crying AKIHIKO IS CRYING and she has no body but there is pain, there is PAIN! There is BLOOD the taste of blood the smell of blood the sound of blood moving flowing rising can't stop it taste the death-

Someone had removed the breathing tube from her throat and with it came a huge mass of terrifying slimy matter. Mitsuru's first act with her revived lungs was to vomit black, foul-smelling sludge that sent the doctors running, leaving only Akihiko to try to prop her up as it kept coming.

Shadows.

Dead Shadows.

When her throat was emptied out, Mitsuru screamed. And screamed.

 _The Shadows surrounded her! They suffocated her! They entered her mouth, her nose – she couldn't breathe! She couldn't SCREAM!_

She screamed and screamed and it came out like a dying seal, a horrible hysterical fretting noise.

 _She kicked and flailed, but she couldn't push them away and her throat was closing up and her arms wouldn't work for her anymore as they went numb and fell._

They nearly fell to the floor as Mitsuru's arms and legs came back to life and flailed as if she were swimming.

Akihiko wrestled her into the bed. "Mitsuru, it's okay! You're okay! Shh-shh-shh-shh...Mitsu-Mitsuru! **What's wrong with her?!"**

"Her mind appears to be continuing where it left off as she lost consciousness," one of the doctors surmised, "She's reliving her death."

"Oh, god..."

 _nonostopstopcan'tbreathecan'tbreathedyingdyingIcan'tIcan'tIcan't_

"We'll have to sedate her."

 _nonoNOPAINPAINPAINICAN'TAKIHIKOAKIHIKOAKIHIKO_

"Mitsuru, it's okay," Akihiko was crying again as he tried to stroke her blood-soaked hair and comfort her. "I'm here, I'm right here, you're safe now. _**It's okay, hon!"**_ He ended up throwing himself over the bed to hold her down while someone gave her a sedative.

 _TouchingtouchinghandsandpainandstrangersAKIHIKOAkihikois...Akihiko...sotired...sleephere,Akihiko? Sowarm...smell...sonice...there...thereitisagain..._

"Ahem...I think you should get up now," said a doctor, amusement evident in his voice.

"No," replied Akihiko, "no, I really shouldn't."

* * *

Mitsuru's condition changed very little overnight and into the next morning. Kikuno was finally allowed access to her Lady, and even Akihiko wisely gave her space as she slavishly tended to Mitsuru's hair and skin, speaking and singing to her in French, making sure she had her favorite flowers and comforts from home. The doctors kept her sedated until they could figure out her miraculous recovery, but she seemed to be receptive to familiar voices as all of her friends visited her. (They had tried to smuggle Koromaru in as well, but hospital security had been increased.) Even Nanako had stopped by.

Naoto was the only one left who hadn't visited Mitsuru. She didn't feel like she would be welcomed. It wasn't that she'd _**wanted**_ Mitsuru to die, she just...tried to be realistic! Nanako's revival had been a once-in-a-lifetime event that they hadn't even realized was possible. Since when was death so easily subverted? Even Fuuka, whose parents were doctors, had privately agreed that the odds of Akihiko succeeding were very slim. It was incredible that it had actually worked at all. Naoto told herself she was honoring Mitsuru's memory by devoting herself to her schoolwork, but the truth was she was afraid to face the Shadow Operatives.

With Akihiko in charge again, their first order of business was to stave off rumors that had immediately popped up upon Mitsuru's admittance. The cover story was as vague as possible: now that Mitsuru was 21, her health insurance policies had changed. She had elected to have her annual physical examination in Inaba Municipal because she was already here. There were just a few routine examinations that had to be done, and she would prefer not to have any press coverage at this time. Public Safety was **not** to know about any of this; the hospital staff were all required to sign copious amounts of waivers saying they wouldn't talk to anyone that wasn't on an exclusive list, which was updated daily. Kikuno guarded the room like a gargoyle and could have Kirijo security there at the press of a button. Dojima-san also promised that the police would be readily available. He may not have cared much for Mitsuru, but he was willing to do it for Nanako and Yu.

After Sho Minazuki's second disappearance, with nary a thought for Mitsuru or even Labrys, the scarred boy was Public Enemy #1. Still believing that Minazuki held the missing link to their theories, Yu set off after him, with Labrys to either keep him company...or curb his newfound bloodlust. Minazuki had two sworn enemies, and one of them was down. He was either reporting to his boss(es), which would let them know who else was behind this – or he was regrouping for another attack, which meant he was currently weak to a retaliatory strike. Yu's attitude had scared the IT. This was a man who had mercy for **Adachi**! But Adachi had played by strict rules. Minazuki was all over the place. Even Adachi had jumped ship in the end.

Yu promised to keep in touch as much as he could, so that Labrys would be informed of any changes in Mitsuru's condition. Since Minazuki had first been spotted in Tokyo, they decided to start searching there. It gave Yu an opportunity to check on his parents, since Minazuki knew where they lived.

Naoto tried not to think about how she had failed to keep Grampa from danger as well.

As Naoto signed in at the hospital's front desk, flashed her identification, and signed in again with Kirijo security, she noticed the door to Mitsuru's room was ajar. It was unlike Kikuno to be lax, so Naoto crept quietly along the wall, coming to a stop behind the door so she would not be seen by whoever was inside.

Akihiko sat by Mitsuru's bed, oblivious to anything except the woman sleeping in it. Her hair was fanned out over the pillow, and he was stroking it, letting it fall through his fingers like sand. For someone whose hands were used as deadly weapons, his motions were unusually delicate and dexterous. His eyes were glistening with tears, and his voice was oddly soft yet scratchy as he spoke to her.

"I still don't understand why you did it," he was saying, "You keep thinking you have to do everything on your own – but you don't, Mitsuru, you never will! Not as long as I'm around!" He paused, a wistful smile on his face as if Mitsuru had actually replied to him. "But I wasn't around, was I? I didn't want you to go through this alone, so I left you alone. Don't look at me like that; we both know I'm an idiot. But I **had** to do something. I couldn't stand watching you suffer like that!" His shoulders shook as he tried to hold back tears. "I've spent my entire life just standing there, watching. There was nothing I could do for Miki...or Shinji...hell, none of us even knew we should've done something for Makoto until it was too late. I'm not doing that anymore. I'm not just gonna stand here and watch someone hurt you. Not _**you!**_ "

Naoto saw Kikuno coming down the hall with a confused expression on her face and motioned for her to be silent, pointing to the room and hoping that the maid would get the message. She took up a position on the opposite side of the door frame, eyes wide as she grasped what was about to happen.

Akihiko found Mitsuru's hand and took it gently, stroking the back with his thumb. "You're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. I don't know where I'd be without you. I ran halfway around the world looking for my strength, only to realize that I'd left it behind."

Mitsuru's hand flexed slightly.

Akihiko gripped it with both hands and when he spoke, it was so quietly that they strained to hear. "...I love you."

Now Kikuno was also crying.

"I won't let anyone hurt you again," Akihiko vowed. Wiping the hair away from her eyes, he leaned down and kissed Mitsuru's cheek.

Naoto turned and quietly fled down the hall, pulling Kikuno behind her. When they were a safe distance away, she raised her voice. "Good afternoon, Kikuno-san."

Thankfully, Kikuno caught on. "Ah, Naoto-san! Come to visit Lady Mitsuru? She's due for another round of medication, but I'm sure she'll be happy you've stopped by at last."

 _Did you have to rub that in?_ Naoto knew she had it coming, and at least Kikuno was passively aggressive about it – though that might just have softened her up for Akihiko's fatal blow – but another thought occurred to her and she wondered just how significant it was.

If Mitsuru was due for more medication, that would mean she was starting to wake again...and she would have been mostly lucid during Akihiko's confession.

Akihiko came to the door. He had washed his face and did his best to form it into an impassive mask. "She's asleep. Doctor came by and said her lungs are doing better, she doesn't need the oxygen anymore."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Kikuno allowed her eyes to tear up again to make it look as if she was just now crying at this bit of news. "I know Lady Mitsuru would be so proud of you all for remaining so strong."

Talk of strength seemed to sap Akihiko of all his energy. "Yeah...I-I need a drink." He didn't even seem to notice or acknowledge Naoto as he left.

Naoto found herself with the irrational fear that Mitsuru would wake up out of a dead sleep just to tell her off.

* * *

After realizing a drink would cost more money than he had thanks to his little trip, Akihiko decided to grab a soda and collapse in the waiting room instead, ignoring all the messages he had and allowing sleep to overtake him. Mitsuru was going to be okay. She was okay.

He awoke some time later with a jolt, dropping his soda can as some rowdy family went by, followed by that bitchy nurse chastising them. A song was playing somewhere – a lullaby? The Rowdys headed in its direction. Akihiko felt uneasy for some reason, as if he'd heard that lullaby somewhere before...

"Mr. Akihiko-san?"

A little voice was calling him, and it freaked him out until he realized it was not in his head, but in front of him coming from the little girl standing there.

"Hey, uh...Nanako. How ya doing? You didn't come here all by yourself, did you? It's, uh...whatthehelltimeisit?...kind of late, huh?" If Dojima saw his kid talking to a stale, smelly guy with drool going down one side of his mouth and soda spilled on his shoes, he'd find something to arrest him for.

"Oh, Kanji-kun walked with me! We saw Naoto-kun, so he stopped to say hello – but I was looking for you!"

"Me?"

"Uh-huh! I brought you this!"

His cape. By the time he realized he'd left it at the hotel, he was already halfway across Japan. Sure, everyone thought he looked stupid in it, but that cape was a symbol of his journey of strength and the strides he'd made. He was pretty attached to it.

Mitsuru was attached to it.

Nanako was still talking. "Mitsuru-san had it when...um..." She looked down, fidgeting with her dress. She was probably about the same age as Miki before she died. How he hated to see her upset. He and Shinji would do anything to make her smile.

That lullaby played again. "That music...it's creeping me out."

Nanako's head popped up. "Oh! Dad says that's the song they play when a new baby is born!" She looked confused. "Does...does that mean babies come from the hospital?"

 _Oh, shit, uh..._ Miki never got the chance to ask where babies came from, so Akihiko was out of his depth. "I guess so – that's where they found my sister!"

"Mitsuru-san said that you were a retired big bro," Nanako chirped. "She said you were going to be a policeman, like my dad, so you could help people! But you really need to wear a shirt."

This made Akihiko laugh out loud. "She said all that, huh?" He might have been biased, but Nanako had to be the second-cutest kid in the entire universe.

"Yeah! She talked about you a lot. She was really proud of you."

Well, **that** made him feel like shit. He unfurled his cape, and a single red hair floated down onto his hand. He choked back a sob. Had...had she been _**wearing**_ it?

"I hope she got to see her dad," Nanako said softly.

Dabbing the corner of his eye with the cape turned out to be a mistake, because when he brought it up to his face...

 _ **it smelled like her.**_

"Yeah," Akihiko managed to say, "I hope so, too." He patted Nanako's head. "Let's get you back home before it gets dark, okay?"

* * *

Naoto knew, on some level, that Mitsuru was unlikely to remember most of the conversations that took place while she was sedated. She still managed to be intimidating somehow, despite remaining silent. It took several tries for Naoto to start speaking, but once she did, she could not seem to stop. She spoke about Grampa, Kanji, Nanako...even her late parents and the hardships of coping with death before comprehending what it was. With Mitsuru unable to judge, she was free to express herself for what felt like the first time in years.

She had just started to run out of breath when Kikuno returned with the doctor. "My apologies, Naoto-san, but it really **is** time for Lady Mitsuru's medication."

"That's quite all right. I don't want Mitsuru-san to be in pain any longer than she needs to be." Naoto rose to leave, but Kikuno stopped her just as she got to the door.

"Naoto-san? Pragmatism isn't a sin. Lady Mitsuru herself would undoubtedly agree."

Tears stung her eyes. Kikuno had forgiven her. "Thank you."

Outside, Naoto was surprised to find not Akihiko, but Kanji. "Oh, Kanji-kun!" They hadn't been able to face one another since their embarrassing moment the other night – and Kanji had come prepared with several tissues just in case. "I meant to apologize for the...uncomfortable situation we found ourselves in."

"It wasn't uncomfortable!" Kanji blurted out and then immediately backslid, "I mean, uh, I wasn't uncomfortable, I guess you were probably uncomfortable...and me bein' comfortable is probably makin' you really uncomfortable right now...sorry." He sniffled preemptively.

"Well...at any rate, it was not my intention to embarrass you, and I hope I didn't cause you to suffer any teasing from, say, Yosuke-senpai or anyone else."

"Nah, Teddie says Yosuke-senpai's off being upset about **his** senpai again."

"Oh, that's unfortunate."

"But, uh, you haven't been talkin' to anyone, either, so I thought I'd come see what was up." Leave it to Kanji to be thinking of her in spite of her sudden unpopularity. "You upset about Mitsuru-san?"

 _Not anymore._ Naoto smiled. "Once again, we have witnessed a medical miracle. I have never been so pleased to have been mistaken." If she was being honest, she would have expressed surprise that Kanji didn't leap to her defense, perhaps echo her sentiment in layman's terms the way he usually did.

She most certainly didn't expect Kanji to scowl down at her. "Yeah, I thought Akihiko-san was gonna throw you out a window. I can't believe you said that."

"Wh-Kanji-kun, the chances of it working were astronomical!"

"You didn't have to say 'Go ahead and let her die', though!"

"I most certainly did **not** say 'Go ahead and let her die'!" Her voice was beginning to reveal her gender, so she dragged Kanji down the hall to avoid making a scene. "Kanji-kun, the human body is not to be trifled with, especially if Shadows are involved! You saw what happened to Nanako-chan, did you not?"

"S'not the point, Naoto. It was their friend in there, and the doctors weren't doing shit. Yeah, it was a million-to-one chance, but one chance's better than nothin'!" He looked at her critically. "You mean to tell me that if you had one chance to save your parents, no matter how batshit crazy it sounded, you wouldn't do it?"

Perhaps the Naoto of seven would, a lifetime or two ago. Once upon a time, Naoto was idealistic, imaginative, willing to believe in fairies and monsters and wishes made on birthday candles coming true. But the seven-year-old grew up, and learned that such things didn't exist. Logic dictated that they didn't, and logic was always right. Logic knew that one chance at success meant 999,999 chances to fail. Naoto was nothing if not logical.

"Pragmatism is not a sin," Naoto echoed Kikuno's earlier statement.

"Ain't it?" She didn't think Kanji knew the definition of the word, but he could certainly guess at its meaning. "Naoto, how much strange shit have you seen in the past year? People jumpin' into TVs and makin' gods and demons appear out of nowhere to use magic powers? Teddie bein' an empty suit and doin' sit-ups to make a body grow in it? Nanako-chan dyin' and then comin' back to life?" He was beginning to lose his cool. "What's to say it wouldn't have worked?"

Naoto had long since lost hers. "And if it hadn't? How do you suppose Akihiko-san would have felt if he had killed a loved one with his own bare hands? Have you ever killed anyone, Kanji? Not a Shadow or a knitted effigy – an actual living, breathing, human being?" Kanji was too shocked at the shrill quality of her voice to comment on her missing honorific. "People don't dissolve into tidy piles of dust. There is blood, and there is screaming, and there is crying. You look into someone's eyes and see the fear and regret, mistakes that were made and things that were left unsaid. And then you watch the light fade as they take their last breath..." she shuddered, "knowing that you have taken a life."

Kanji's face contorted in horror. "Naoto...have you ever...killed someone?"

Breathing was getting harder. "I need to go. Grampa...I just need to-"

"Wait, Naoto!"

The hospital and the world blurred together as she ran.

Kanji wasn't sure what the hell just happened, but he just learned a lot more about Naoto than he'd ever wanted to know. Those tiny shoulders carried a lot of weight. She knew what it felt like to _**kill**_ someone?! He hadn't meant to dredge up bad memories, but it seemed he'd really stepped in it this time.

"Senpai, what do I do?" he said to himself. He was halfway through sending Yu a text message when he stopped. "No. I did this, and now I've got to fix it myself. That's what a man does." He looked back at Mitsuru's room and smiled. "Gotta save your girl no matter what, right, Akihiko-san?"

* * *

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All Caps Kikuno seems to have conveniently forgotten that she took off, too, in Chapter 6.

Inaba Municipal is going to be famous for its miraculous patient revival rate.

I kind of picture death as being like sensory deprivation, and if you were to be suddenly revived, it would be sensory OVERLOAD. Suddenly you can see, hear, taste, smell, and feel everything all at once, and it would freak you out. Now imagine being in your least favorite place ever (a hospital), with memories of your violent death and the taste of Shadows in your mouth. You wouldn't be able to tell if you were alive, or this was Hell.

In my headcanons, it takes Akihiko a long, long time to finally realize what he's feeling, but once he does, he dives headlong into it. Mitsuru, on the other hand, would recognize love early, but deny it to herself until she has no choice but to admit it.

OOPS! Spoilers! Uh, just ignore that last part for now.

I don't know about hospitals in Japan, but in hospitals where I live, they play a snippet of "Brahms' Lullaby" every time a baby is born. Now, remember what that lullaby foreshadowed in Persona Q?


	23. Love and Logic

Our 'ships can help each other, but they can't help themselves.

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* * *

Yu had spent more money on round trips between Tokyo and Inaba than he'd ever expected to spend. He missed the TV World and its Shadows with deep pockets. Labrys had paid her own way, however, and assured him that she would talk to Mitsuru about reimbursing him once she woke up.

 **If** she woke up.

Death was way too familiar with Yu. Two years ago, it was just an inevitable fact of life for the elderly, stray animals, and terminally sick people. Inaba had changed all that. Adachi, with his sadistic smirk and his two-faced friendliness. How immoral could one man be, to take the lives of two people just because he wanted to? Because he was bored? Dead-eyed Mitsuo Kubo, who murdered for the acclaim and attention, thinking he would level up like a video game character. It had never occurred to either of them that they had just ended human lives with their own hands, that they had sicced Death on someone who didn't deserve it, who wasn't ready yet, who hadn't lived their lives to the fullest. Mayumi Yamano was trying to start her life over after surviving a scandal. Saki Konishi was just a kid, still in school with her own aspirations and an entire life ahead of her.

Nanako was only seven.

How could you watch someone's life end, and not feel one bit of sadness? Who gave anyone the right to decide when someone else was to die, and for what reason? **Especially** when that person gave up their life in order to spare yours? Minazuki may not have killed anyone with his bare hands, but he was responsible for Mitsuru's death...and he couldn't care less. Refusing to form bonds didn't give you the right to sever others'. Adachi was in jail. Kubo was locked up. Minazuki needed to be reprimanded as well.

If he happened to be a little roughed up in the process, so much the better.

Labrys hadn't bothered Yu on the train ride. Either she knew he was brooding, or she just got too excited to experience some more human activities. It was rather hilarious to see a million-dollar deadly weapon bouncing in her seat like Nanako.

"Whoa! Tokyo is HUGE!" Labrys gasped, her smile nearly as big as the city. "It's even bigger than Iwatodai! Look at those buildings! You grew up here?"

"A good chunk of my life," Yu chuckled. It would be hard to maintain his sour mood with her around. "It's flashy, but it's impersonal, and it's easy to get lost in the shuffle. It's not as homey as Inaba."

"Yeah, but your family's here."

 _Is it really?_ Yu was tempted to say. Instead, he directed Labrys down the street where he first saw Sho. "If Minazuki liked to watch TV here, maybe some of the business owners will remember him. He's pretty easy to single out, after all."

"Oh yeah, those eyes are really somethin', especially with that hair."

Yu smirked. "I was thinking more about his uniform, but..."

Labrys would have been sweating, had she been human. "What're ya lookin' at me like **that** for? I-I just meant...y'know...not a lotta Japanese people have blue eyes, right? I mean, Teddie does, but Teddie's a Shadow an' all...it's not like they're _**nice**_ or anything!"

"You...really got into that whole 'I'm a human girl' thing, didn't you, Labrys?"

Labrys said nothing and just stormed down the street.

* * *

She had no idea how long she had been in this bed or this state of consciousness. By the time her surroundings solidified themselves into a bare, white, mechanical room, the voices she'd been hearing were long gone, indicating that all of her friends and allies had had their chance to visit her.

It smelled as if Akihiko had been here recently. He had kept the longest vigil; his voice was the one she heard the most. Many times she tried vainly to respond to him, move, make a noise, but she was so incredibly tired, and whatever drugs they had her on weren't helping. She hoped he wasn't beating himself up for her actions.

Today, Artemisia had nudged her awake and then went as silent as she could possibly be. She was tired, too; she'd worked endlessly to heal Mitsuru. The last time Mitsuru had been left completely alone with her own thoughts was when she was twelve years old. Drugs had caused that as well. The look on Akihiko's face when he found out she had been taking suppressants...

Naturally, her thoughts contained nothing but Akihiko.

By the time Mitsuru's body realized she was awake and presented her with quite a few needs, voices were approaching her – and one of them was Kikuno's. _Oh, Kikuno. For a moment, I thought I'd never see you again._

"...and I've given them explicit instructions to bring the package directly to this room _**without**_ opening it," Kikuno was telling a nurse, "Lady Mitsuru's clothing is **not** to be handled and ogled by crass, desperate young men! One brassiere is worth more than a year of their salary! I am perfectly capable of dressing her myself, and if not-" She finally noticed Mitsuru's eyes were open and looking around in confusion. "MILADY! Are you all right? Are you in pain? **Get the doctor**!" she snapped at the nurse, " **Go and get the doctor, quickly!** Oh, Milady, I'm so glad you've finally awoken!" Poor Kikuno had forgotten all manner of propriety as she hovered over Mitsuru like a new mother. "Does anything hurt? Can you speak?"

Could she speak? Her throat felt as if she'd gargled nails. She moved her lips experimentally, but no sound came out.

Kikuno still had tears in her eyes, but she smiled. "Have you forgotten your words? Shall I bring you a book?"

As dehydrated as she was, Mitsuru could still cry. "Kikuno," she squeaked, her voice unfamiliar to her ears.

"I win," said Kikuno, and two old friends embraced like sisters.

* * *

Naoto walked through town alone, painfully aware of the fact that everyone she knew had unspoken issues. Yu had texted everyone earlier, explaining that he and Labrys had canvassed the neighborhoods of Tokyo, but Minazuki was nowhere to be found. He didn't volunteer much more than that. Rise was convinced that something was wrong, based on the fact that he didn't respond to her flirting (ignoring the fact that Yu never responded to Rise's flirting). Naoto pored over the few words her senpai had shared, but came to no such conclusion herself. _Damn that tin ear._

Labrys was distressed to hear that Mitsuru was still heavily sedated. Naoto wanted to ask Labrys if she, too, had been angry at her, but it wasn't really the right time to do so. Even Naoto could tell, however, that something was up with Labrys. She wasn't talking about Minazuki nearly as much as she usually did, nor did she jump to his defense when the others expressed a desire to see him harmed or incarcerated. She simply asked them to pass on her apologies to Kikuno for the manhandling.

Kanji had been equally as terse in the group text this morning, which concerned Naoto the most. He didn't approach her before class, or at lunch. Was he still angry at her for playing devil's advocate, or had she unwittingly hit a sore spot? When Nanako died, Kanji was just as emotional as the girls, lamenting his uselessness. At the time, it seemed contrary to his outwardly brutish nature. Only later, when Naoto found out that his father had died at a time when he wasn't present, did she start to see the parallels. He was angry at himself for failing to act. He felt that he had not done all that he could. Had there been a one-in-a-million chance to save his father, he would have taken it rather than sit idly by and let Death claim him. Such was the extent of the love he had for his father. Love, Naoto was beginning to realize, cared little for logic.

Yamato Takeru was stirring, and Naoto felt the crux of the matter materialize in her mind.

 _What will it be, Naoto? Logic...or love?_

* * *

Akihiko had been planning to hunt down some protein before taking up his vigil at Mitsuru's bedside once again when his phone rang. Kikuno was calling him. Kikuno knew he would be at the hospital no matter what she did, so if she was actually taking the time to call him, something had happened. "Kikuno? What is it?"

"Someone would like to speak to you." Her voice was strained. She'd been crying. Akihiko searched for a bench or somewhere to sit down, mulling over his options. He was in charge of the Shadow Operatives now. How the hell could he tell them Mitsuru was gone? Wait, was he her next-of-kin? He wasn't ready for this! "All right, uh...h-hello?"

The line had gone silent, and then he heard shuffling around before someone spoke again.

"Akihiko?"

The cry that came out of his mouth was embarrassingly high-pitched. He was bawling like a baby in the middle of a shopping district. That beautiful voice he wasn't sure he'd ever hear again...saying his name. Before he even realized what he was doing, Akihiko found himself hauling ass towards the hospital. He still had the phone to his ear, even though Mitsuru had stopped talking and was also crying. The sound gave him the strength to keep running. He was pretty sure he broke the land speed record, and it was damn lucky that security knew who this sobbing, panting crazy man was, because Akihiko didn't stop running until he came face to face with Mitsuru, her eyes OPEN FINALLY and full of tears. He collapsed in her lap.

* * *

Labrys had hoped that the life and lights of Tokyo would distract her from the fact that she had feelings. As a robot, it was just wrong...right? I mean, statistics showed that most humans people-most LIFE FORMS initially focused on a person's eyes when first meeting them. Yeah. That was normal. Yu didn't know what he was talking about. Watch – she'd make a note of his parents' eyes when she saw them and then he'd shut the hell up about Sho and his eyes that were NOT pretty!

...except Yu's parents weren't home. Aw, that's a shame. He must be bummed.

"Well, looks like we have the place to ourselves," Yu said as he flopped down on a couch. He didn't seem bummed at all!

"It's a nice place." This left Labrys at a loss for what to do next. They didn't have Sho, and Yu's parents could be in danger, or they could just be out shopping. Mitsuru hadn't woken up, either. What was an Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon supposed to do now, watch TV?

Someone knocked on the door. Well, that couldn't be Yu's parents! Yu opened the door with a confused expression and found a girl about his age there.

"Hi there, Narukami-kun!" She reminded Labrys of Yukari a little. "You might not remember me – I'm Hana Kei? We had Kendo class together a while back?"

"Oh, right, sure," Yu said dismissively. He sure did have all the girls chasing after him. "What can I do for you, Hana-san?"

"You probably also don't remember that my parents own the Samurai Slice pizza joint downtown," Hana continued, "My mom said something about a guy coming in this afternoon to ask about a customer. Now, normally, we don't get involved in someone else's business, but when she described the guy, I realized it sounded like you!" She noticed Labrys and frowned. "You never told anybody you had a sister."

"Sister? Oh, no – I'm Labrys," Labrys insisted, realizing almost immediately that that sounded really stupid. "Yu-kun's just helpin' me out. We're both lookin' for the same guy, that's all."

Hana didn't seem to believe her, but she let it go for the moment. "You're trying to find a boy – red hair, scar on his nose, kind of rude?"

"She's seen Minazuki?"

"'Minazuki'?" Hana repeated, "That's not the name he gave." Now they were confused. "This boy you're talking about – the one my mom talked with – he was looking at some of our props, and he was really digging this one sword. Mom kept insisting it wasn't for sale, but he offered some insane amount, and she cracked."

"Was it a katana?" Yu asked with a smirk

"No, it was much bigger," replied Hana, and Yu's smirk widened. "Mom said she'd mail it to him, and he gave her an address." She dug around in her pockets, and if Labrys had been human, she would have been holding her breath until the girl produced a scrap of paper. "If you don't mind me saying, it's kind of weird you'd go to school with a guy, and not know his address." She blushed as she added, "Also, if that's the Inaba uniform...you'd look pretty nice in it."

For the first time ever, Yu appeared to lose his cool as he gaped at the paper in his hand. Sure enough, it was an address for a house in Inaba...belonging to one Sho Ikutsuki.

* * *

Naoto was surprised they all responded to her summons. She wasn't Yu, after all.

"Thank you all for meeting with me," she began, as if she were at a business meeting and not a Junes table with her friends.

Kanji had been squirming in his seat, and chose that moment to leap up. "Naoto, look...about yesterday-"

Their friends looked confused, but Naoto held up a hand. If she let him continue, he would completely dismantle the facade of cool control she'd spent all night building. "I understand that my actions the other night may have upset some of you. I am not apologizing for said actions, but..." They were all looking at her with such earnest concern that her resolve began to waver. She legitimately cared about the opinions of the people sitting in front of her. She _**cared**_. "...but you are my friends, and I feel that I owe you an explanation."

They looked even more confused, and Naoto waited for them to finish decoding her sentences while foolishly taking a glance at Kanji. His eyes showed concern for her once more, and she realized just how much she had come to rely on having him in her corner. Kanji was a man who took fraternity seriously. He valued the people in his life above all else, and that was an admirable quality. He had not been wrong...yet Naoto still felt, with every fiber of her being, that she had not been wrong, either.

Teddie had been the last person Naoto assumed would be quick on the uptake, but he had understood somehow. "You mean...about Mitchan?" he asked, and light bulbs went off over the others' heads.

"I can't believe you said that, either," said Yukiko, "I thought you really liked Mitsuru-san."

"That ain't it, Senpai, so just can it, all right?" Kanji was quick to silence her.

Rise, who had been oddly silent, seemed to realize what had happened. "You were scared, weren't you?"

Naoto took a deep breath. "I told you all that I returned to Inaba to consult with the police on the murder case," she began, "This was only a partial truth. In actuality, I needed to get away...from what I had done."

Kanji hovered close, still afraid to offer any comfort. One by one, the others began connecting the dots. Rise gasped.

Naoto bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, but continued. "We were investigating a drug ring. My partner at the time was a rather headstrong young man who resented being paired with me for – well, you can imagine." She could still picture his face in her mind. "He became so obsessed with wanting to outdo me that he rushed into a building filled with violent, armed drug addicts and ended up becoming a hostage." With her old wounds reopening, it was hard for Naoto to remember that she was no longer there. "I had no backup. The ringleader had a knife to my partner's neck. He was so high that he didn't even acknowledge us as humans. My only recourse was to incapacitate him." The girls had begun to cry. Yosuke was as white as a sheet. "One shot to the shoulder isn't supposed to be fatal...but the addict was on so many different drugs, his blood pressure altered so drastically that he-he bled out."

Kanji was rubbing his eyes. "Shit, Naoto."

"But Nao-chan," Teddie tried to pat her on the back, "He was a bad guy!"

"He was a kid!" Naoto's voice became so shrill that even Teddie flinched. "He was a runaway who made horrible choices and got in over his head. He didn't want to die! He wished with his last breath that he could see his family again!" She never cried, not in front of others, but the baring of her soul seemed to unlock emotions that she'd sealed away years ago. "He was scared, and alone, and the only person who thought to stay with him while he died was the one who shot him!"

Kanji was still too afraid to hug Naoto, but the girls weren't. "That sh-should count for something," Chie struggled to say, "You're not a b-bad person, Naoto-kun!"

"I took someone's life!"

"Yeah, but you didn't enjoy it!" said Yosuke, "You're not Adachi!"

Adachi. An unrepentant murderer who gleefully killed two women with his bare hands because they spurned him. A cop who had killed. To know that Yosuke, who spent the past year struggling to cope with the murder of his senpai, did not consider them one and the same was the greatest gift Naoto could have gotten. She hugged him. She hugged them all. She may have even hugged Teddie. When it came time to hug Kanji, however...well, Yosuke was watching.

Kanji put his arm around her stiffly and clapped her shoulder. Hopefully, he was sniffling back _tears_. That possibility lessened when Naoto place her hand over his and squeezed it.

Yamato Takeru approved.

Their phones went off simultaneously, which could only mean one thing. "Senpai," Rise confirmed as she glanced at hers.

"I don't believe I can talk to him right now," Naoto decided. The idea that Yu might be angry with her, in spite of her deciding that her feelings were platonic, was still too much to take. "Are there any breakthroughs in the search for Minazuki?"

"Well, he hasn't found him," said Yosuke, "but he did find something the Shadow Operatives might be interested in. I think they're coming back to Inaba to tell everyone at once."

"Senpai always did have a flair for the dramatic." The others' phones went silent while hers continued to chime. One message was from Yu to her alone, asking her to extensively investigate Shuji Ikutsuki – which would be difficult, considering the man had been blacklisted by Mitsuru herself. She hastily typed out ON IT, SENPAI and then closed off the conversation, as if Yu could sense her unease through the phone line somehow. The next message, however...

"As well as impeccable timing. Aigis-san has just messaged me." Everyone snapped to attention. "Mitsuru-san is awake."

* * *

She could sense **everything**. The texture of the overly starched bed sheets, the needle lodged in her wrist (trying very hard not to dwell on that!) the beeping sounds of machines and the conversational snippets of doctors going to and fro. At one point, a lullaby was piped through the speakers, and the eerily haunting familiarity of it occupied her mind for a while. She could smell food that some other lucky patient was receiving, latex gloves, saline and rubbing alcohol. Her room had a window, and there was so much green outside that she wasn't even sure if it was real. Everything caught her attention. She felt as if she had just been given life and the world was bright and new. _**Alive**_. She was alive.

For the moment, however, Mitsuru was fully concentrating on one thing: **TEA**. Oh, thank goodness, the gods be praised, warm, caffeinated tea! She wasn't technically supposed to have it, but Kikuno was sneaky. Poor Mitsuru drank as if she had been marooned on a desert island for years. She was so sick of water! But the tea wasn't the only thing warming her.

It was a little odd to say that Mitsuru's favorite scent outside of Darjeeling was Akihiko overexerting himself as usual, but it was true. When she had been besieged by nightmares and things that took over her head, the real, visceral things such as sweat and breath and a heartbeat grounded her. She was not trapped and alone – she was safe with Akihiko. The demons that whispered to her were drowned out by his weakened lung and soothing voice. _It's all right, hon. I'm here._ He smelled like hope and happiness and security. Those scars were a road map to home. She depended on him more than she realized.

The bed wasn't really big enough for Akihiko to be perched uncomfortably on the edge of it, but he was as close to Mitsuru as he could get. He watched her so intently as she moved, breathed, tenderly touched things and marveled at her own existence. She wondered if he felt guilty; Kikuno had explained to her exactly what Akihiko had done that night and it still boggled her mind. Akihiko had truly saved her life, and for that, he would always, always have a place in it.

Was it necessary for his place to literally be right by her side?

Akihiko had texted Yukari, and she continued the chain of messages. Within minutes, Mitsuru's room was full to bursting with all the Persona-users, Nanako, even Dojima. Only Narukami and Labrys were missing, but Hanamura assured her they would return before nightfall. Their beaming faces eagerly watched her for signs that their commander had returned to normal. It was a bit overwhelming.

Underneath the blanket, Akihiko slipped his hand into hers.

"Senpai! You had us so worried!" Yukari was on her other side, barely restraining herself from enthusiastically hugging Mitsuru. If she noticed Akihiko, she didn't say – which only underscored the seriousness of the situation. "Are you okay?"

"I..." Speaking felt strange. Artemisia didn't need everything to be verbal. "I-I'm...alive..."

"Thank God you are!" Yukari sobbed, "Don't you **ever** do that again!" She couldn't hold back anymore and smothered Mitsuru in pink.

"Yukari..." Mitsuru's muffled voice managed to snap her out of it.

"How do you feel?" asked Amada after Mitsuru had resurfaced.

"Tired," she answered him, "Everything feels more-or-less back to normal, but...I'm still very tired. I'm afraid I won't be of much use in locating Minazuki, or-"

"Whoa," Akihiko stopped her, "Don't you worry about that. We've got it, okay?" He brought their joined hands above the blanket and their friends gasped. "Let us worry about things for a change. You just concentrate on getting better." His eyes had so many more things yet to say. Mitsuru wanted to hear them.

A throat cleared, and the moment was broken. "We've got the police tailing the Minazuki kid now," Dojima said, "if he's in Inaba, we'll find him." He seemed out of place among the teens, and could sense it. "In the meantime, I second the idea that you need rest. You _**died**_. That's not something to be taken lightly." It was then that Mitsuru remembered what Shirogane had told her weeks ago. No wonder the man had taken time off to visit her. It felt strange, seeing fatherly concern for the first time in years. "We're gonna get going. You kids don't stay too long, either – and tell Yu to come get yelled at when he gets back."

"Of course, Dojima-san," Shirogane assured him.

"Get well soon, Mitsuru-san!" Nanako came bounding over to the bed. "If you tell them you died, they'll give you extra ice cream!"

"Well," Mitsuru beamed, "I certainly can't resist an offer like that, now, can I?" Akihiko was forced to let go of her hand in order to help Nanako up. She had sorely missed this little ray of sunshine and her highly infectious giggle. Her eyes met Akihiko's again as Nanako skipped away with her father, but there was something unreadable in them now.

"Grampa sends his regards," Shirogane was saying, "Public Safety may be watching the estate, so he didn't want to chance being seen visiting you for what we allowed the media to believe was a 'routine procedure'."

"Of course."

"An' Ma's knitting you a blanket so you won't be cold," added Tatsumi, "I, uh, couldn't really tell 'er that you prolly like it that way."

Mitsuru smiled. "I suspect she fears Mother would never forgive her if she neglects the opportunity to dote on me. Please thank her for me – _**politely**_!"

Tatsumi grumbled his assent.

"What else has Public Safety been told?" Mitsuru asked. The others seemed surprised to see her jumping right back into the case from her sickbed, but time was of the essence. She'd held them up long enough.

"Nothing about the incident," replied Shirogane. "They're now concentrating on the Kirijo Group's foreign holdings after receiving an anonymous tip about Akihiko-san spending a year traveling abroad."

Before Mitsuru could reply in alarm, Akihiko himself silenced her. "That's what we fed them," he said, "They're not going to find anything, but they won't admit it for a while. Should keep them off our backs while we figure this Minazuki shit out." It was ingenious. Akihiko had been working overtime to take care of everything in the event that Mitsuru didn't recover. She was both proud and ashamed.

"And the kidnappings?"

"They've tapered off. Either the perpetrator has grown disappointed with the lack of attention they're getting, or the kidnappings were just one phase of their plan," said Shirogane. She clearly had several theories. If puns hadn't been permanently ruined for her, Mitsuru would have happily declared that she was dying to pick the girl's brain.

"You have nothing to worry about except getting better!" Yamagishi beamed.

Mitsuru didn't even bother to hide her disappointment – to the amusement of her friends.

"All right, guys," Akihiko said firmly, "let's clear out before the hospital starts charging us rent. We already look suspicious with a crowd this size." Amazingly, everyone made to leave with very little complaining. How did he manage to gain their complete cooperation this easily? And so quickly?

"But-!"

"We'll be back, Senpai." Yukari gave her one more hug before leaving. "Try not to think too much – you _**know**_ you're going to!"

 _Yukari! I thought you were my best friend!_

"Wh...is everyone leaving? I've been resting for days now, I don't want to sleep!" Desperate to find something for her brain to focus on besides the inevitable, Mitsuru searched for something to distract herself with.

Shirogane paused on the way out, looking as if she had something to say. _THANK you!_ "I am very glad to see that you've recovered, Mitsuru-san," she began, "I-"

Kikuno had mentioned this as well. Shirogane was hard-wired to be the voice of reason to the point of making her physically ill if she were unable to analyze the situation before action was taken. How odd that it was Kujikawa who became their navigator instead. Mitsuru couldn't fault the girl; she still needed to take that lesson to heart herself.

Tatsumi had realized he was alone and doubled back. "You comin', Naoto? Ma's really lookin' forward to havin' you for supper-uh, I mean, having you _**over**_ for supper, we're not havin' you for supper, that's not right... **I ain't good with words! You still wanna eat?** "

It was amusing watching the unrefined boy trying to cross to the other side of the tracks for an oblivious Shirogane's benefit, only to end up colliding with the train head-on. Here was someone that was stubbornly Action to Shirogane's Reaction...yet their movements intertwined with one another almost beautifully. A dance. Newton's Third Law set to music.

Now, where had she seen that before?

* * *

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In one of the Drama CDs, Kikuno and Mitsuru reminisce about the first time they met. Kikuno had been abandoned in the hospital and refused to speak because she'd given up on everything. Mitsuru came to visit her and said (paraphrased from the translation), "Can you not speak because you don't know any words? Then read a book!" She kept coming back and bringing Kikuno more books until one day the older girl snapped and said, "I'm not stupid!" "You talked," Mitsuru smirked, "I win."

My headcanon is that Akihiko is indeed Mitsuru's next-of-kin (assuming he doesn't die first). It's either him, or Kikuno.

Since Yu's main weapon as of Ultimax is a katana, Sho decided to out-metaphor him and get a bigger sword.

I'm not sure if it's canon or just really determined fanon that Naoto has shot someone, but we know that she's officially armed, so it's possible.


	24. Maturing Bonds

One of the readers' favorite friendships and a P5 reference.

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* * *

Mitsuru was having a hell of a time convincing the doctors that she was fine. For one thing, she wasn't fine. There was still a great deal of pain in her chest, and her limbs felt like noodles. She was certain that Yukari would exhaust herself healing her, however, and so she immediately set out to have herself released. At least two days had passed without any progress on those kidnappings, and time was of the essence. More importantly, Narukami and Labrys had returned with news. Mitsuru simply had to have that information, even if she had to crawl on her hands and knees to get to it...

...which seemed to be the case as she stumbled out of her hospital bed and nearly tumbled to the floor. "I'm all right!" she insisted as an orderly rushed in, "I just lost my balance for a second. Forgot I wasn't wearing heels." She gave him the most sheepish grin she could manage, hoping he was a typical male. It worked, and after he left, Mitsuru set about finding something that would actually cover her backside.

No one had visited her today, other than a nervous Akihiko suspiciously asking her over and over again if she was going to be okay by herself. He really should have realized she was not going to stay in bed when her livelihood was at stake. How many times did she threaten to sit on him when his rib cage was fractured and he refused to stop training? They were two sides of the same coin, and she was just as stubborn and determined as he was.

Finally dressed and determined to ignore the dizziness making her steps unsteady, Mitsuru quietly opened the door to her room and slipped out into the hallway – running right into a wall of flesh.

"I knew it." Akihiko was standing there, arms crossed and wearing a scowl very reminiscent of Mitsuru's own. Apparently, he **had** realized. "You never did know when to quit."

Mitsuru tried to scowl back at him, but she couldn't figure out which Akihiko was the real one.

Akihiko guided her to a chair and sighed. He looked so much older than his actual twenty years. "Look, I know how you feel about hospitals, but you need to recuperate, and you can't be trusted to do so if they let you loose. You aren't ready to leave yet, Mitsuru. How long did it take you to get dressed?"

"I can't stay here." Her voice was small and pleading, two things no one ever thought Mitsuru Kirijo could be.

"Hon..."

"DON'T!" The temperature in the hallway dropped several degrees, but the heat rushed to Mitsuru's face as the bile rose in her throat. "Don't coddle me, Akihiko. I can't afford it anymore. I never should have let you do so to begin with."

Akihiko's face darkened. "That's what you think this is, huh?"

Why was he so angry? She was freeing him from having to constantly baby her! All those nights he stayed with her...he couldn't have possibly gotten enough sleep. The teasing he must have suffered through from Iori and the others. He lost his job with the Port Island Police because of her. Public Safety was convinced he was just a stooge for her, a pawn in her evil game. She was ruining his life, all because she enjoyed his comfort for her own benefit.

"I'm not weak," Mitsuru whispered.

She hadn't expected Akihiko to reply to her. "Who said you were?"

Mitsuru stood, eyes closed but mind open. She could do this. The hospital's floors weren't constantly changing like Tartarus had. With her analytical Persona, she could make it through the hallway and out into Inaba, anticipating every obstacle. She could heal herself. She didn't even have to walk – she could hire a driver. Get a hotel room. Regroup and power through the pain. She had to prove to Akihiko – no, to **herself** – that she didn't need him. _I am_ not _weak!_

She could sense Akihiko moving to catch her before she had a chance to fall. "Mitsuru..."

It really wasn't his fault. He'd been conditioned to obey her ever since they founded SEES. She'd been doing him a disservice by sending him mixed messages. His loyalty didn't need to be tested. It would always be as constant as the tides following the moon.

"I do appreciate you indulging me for so long, but it's no longer necessary. I will be leaving this hospital of my own volition."

"I can't let you do that." Akihiko wasn't budging.

"And since when have you ever _**let**_ me do anything?" Mitsuru shot back. In spite of the rapidly declining temperature, Akihiko actually smirked. He looked relieved. This only served to infuriate Mitsuru even more. Mixed messages indeed! Did he expect her to be weak or not?

"Way I see it," he was saying, "you've got two choices."

"I'm not staying in this place for one more minute. I fully commit myself to option B."

"You sure?"

"At the risk of setting myself up for a potentially humiliating situation...yes."

Akihiko just chuckled.

What on Earth did _**that**_ mean?

* * *

It meant that Mitsuru was an idiot.

Now she was situated on even less comfortable furniture, looking for an opportunity to get away. The door was not being watched. She may not have been quite as dizzy this time. It was now or never!

"Oh, no you don't, Mitsuru-san!"

"Nanako, please!"

Since when did they make prison wardens so tiny?

Nanako had been in the Dojima's microscopic kitchen, having insisted to Mitsuru that she could concoct something to make her "feel better in a jiffy!", but she came running immediately when she sensed that her patient was making a break for it. Mitsuru was marooned on their inexpensive couch while the most insipid TV programs played over and over. Did they not receive Featherman out in the countryside?

 _I am going to execute you, Akihiko. Over and over again. And I'm going to relish it._

That infuriating man knew exactly what he was doing. There was no way to politely decline a seven-year-old who believed you were the greatest thing since instant noodles.

"I appreciate you keeping me under house arrest, truly, but...don't you have homework that needs to be done?"

"Oh, no, Big Bro helps me with my homework when he's here!" Nanako replied, "Are you feeling okay? I could call Kanji-kun's mom if you want!"

"No-no, that's quite all right!" That woman was cagier than she let others believe. "You've done an exemplary job of caring for me." Nanako was always eager to soak up praise, and Mitsuru only felt a little guilty manipulating her.

Sure enough, the girl gave her a Teddie-esque sparkling smile. "When I was sick, TV always made me feel better! It'll work for you, too – you'll see!"

The television seemed to agree with her as it loudly declared, "And now, an audience favorite: a three-hour block of Detective Loveline-"

"YAY!" Nanako cheered.

"-sponsored by:

 _At Junes, every day is customer appreciation day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products._ _ **Every day's great at your Junes!"**_

"Every day's great at your Junes!" echoed Nanako, giggling.

Mitsuru tried to smother herself with a throw pillow. "Am I in Hell?"

* * *

Akihiko was giving more thought to the will he'd started planning out the last time Mitsuru was angry at him. He felt horrible making a kid play nursemaid, but Mitsuru jumped right on the non-hospital option before she even knew what the hell it was. She was too stubborn for her own damn good.

Labrys seemed to know what he was brooding about, because she was tugging on his arm. "She'll be all right," she said, "Mitsuru-san's pretty badass for a human."

"She's also good at hiding how hurt she is, to the point where you don't even realize she's about to drop dea-" What the hell was he thinking, letting Mitsuru out of the hospital? She died right in front of him! And he left her with a kid who couldn't stop her and probably wouldn't because she, too, had stars in her eyes where Mitsuru was concerned. He was an idiot!

"You saved her, though."

"Did I?"

Thank whoever-the-hell-was-out-there that robots didn't get rhetorical questions.

Yu was clearing his throat. He looked like he was starting to get pissy that he didn't have everyone's undivided attention. Sometimes, he could be just like Makoto was – quiet and lackadaisical – and then other times, he seemed to think he was an Army general. Why were these "Wild Cards" always enigmatic magnets? His team members were looking at him like Koromaru watching Shinji in the kitchen. Even Labrys stopped what she was doing and paid attention. She wasn't even on his team, but she still spoke about Yu like he hung the mo-DAMMIT HE NEEDED TO STOP DOING THAT!

"Okay," Yu was saying, "First things first: Minazuki isn't in Tokyo. The last time he was seen there was a few days before he appeared here in Inaba."

"Too much exposure, perhaps?" asked Naoto. Her brain was probably trying to match Minazuki to dozens of criminal profiles.

"But there's more," Labrys added, "Get to the good part, Yu-kun!"

Yu just smirked. Okay, that was creepy. Makoto had the same lazy smirk! "I'm getting there, don't worry. Minazuki was in Tokyo trying to buy a sword-"

"Bigger'n yours."

"-and he gave the seller a shipping address."

Akihiko had caught on. "Is the address in Inaba?"

"BINGO!" yelled Labrys.

"Kid bought a house?" Kanji seemed confused.

"Inherited it," explained Yu, "the house belonged to Ikutsuki-san."

Without Mitsuru present, the Operatives just gaped at her proxy. "No, I'm pretty sure this is news," said Akihiko, "Ikutsuki never talked about himself – he'd just redirect you with puns until you gave up. We don't even know where he's from."

"So, he's got an address. Are we just gonna go knock on his door and then run away?" asked Junpei.

Yu's smirk widened to an amount Makoto would have coveted. "Something like that."

* * *

Now in her third hour of the most anally-retentive detective ever, Mitsuru was starting to wish she was back at the hospital.

"Where's the clue, junior sleuths?"

 _For heaven's sake, it's in the bushes directly beneath you!_

"Is it...here?

"Nooo!" a chorus of invisible children cried.

"Nooo!" said Nanako, even though she was old enough by now to realize that the people in the TV could not hear her. Actually, then again...

"Is it...on the road?"

"Nooo!"

"How about...up this tree?"

She finally could stand no more. "Are you blind!?"

"Detective Loveline needs a lot of help," admitted Nanako.

 _That's an understatement!_ "Well, he's certainly no Shirogane."

Nanako giggled.

The inept detective finally found his clue – after five more redirections – and yet another Junes commercial played. Mitsuru was sweeping her bangs away from her face just as Nanako turned around. "Oh! I remember now!"

"Hmm?"

"It was your hair. Kanji-kun's mom said you don't have any brothers or sisters, but..."

A feeling of dread washed over Mitsuru. "Have you seen anyone else with red hair recently?" Japanese people certainly weren't known for a wide variety of natural hair colors. Chidori had passed away, meaning there was only one other person with red hair that she knew of...

"Uh-huh. He was at Junes the other day."

Narukami was going to flay her alive for her mistake endangering his beloved cousin!

"He looked kind of lost," Nanako continued, "so I asked him if he needed any help. He was very rude."

"What did he say to you?"

"'Scram, little girl, and don't tell anyone you saw me!' Do you know him? I've never seen him in Inaba before."

The pain in Mitsuru's chest resurfaced. She leapt off the couch. "Nanako, this is very important: Can you tell me anything else about this person? Anything at all?"

"Well...he had a scar on his face-"

That settled it.

"- and he was looking for medicine."

"Did he say what kind of medicine?"

"No.

Perhaps she was reading too much into this...but it seemed as if Minazuki was making himself at home in Inaba. But what was keeping him here? Tsukuda was dead. All of the people responsible for his Persona were dead.

"If I see him again-"

" **No**. If you see this boy again in Junes or anywhere, don't talk to him. Get someone, anyone, even Teddie if necessary." The bear might be scatterbrained, but he'd fight to the death for Nanako. Everyone on the Investigation Team would.

Mitsuru herself just might.

 _Why is Minazuki in Inaba?_ The others needed to know about this, if they didn't already. "Where's my phone?"

"Oh."

"Oh?"

Nanako looked guilty. "Akihiko-san took it – so you couldn't do any work."

Mitsuru did her damnedest to bite her tongue in front of Nanako, but the rapidly dropping temperature had her snorting like a bull – one that no man would be able to outrun. "That man..." Not only had he left her with nothing to do, he also left her unable to communicate with him in the event of an emergency! This was crucial information! Why were they running all over Japan when Minazuki was liable to return to Inaba at any time? They needed to find him before the police did!

 _Dojima_. Perhaps there was still one avenue Mitsuru could maneuver down in her condition. "What time are you expecting your father to be home, Nanako?"

* * *

"House" was rather generous. "Lean-to held together with bubble gum and willpower" was more like it. Ikutsuki must've had this place for years. Still, they comically hid in the bushes waiting to see if Minazuki was home. Akihiko felt like a prize idiot. He knew he could take this kid. Why bother treating him any better than he treated Mitsuru?

Apparently, Minazuki was also an idiot, as he opened the door like he wasn't hiding out. "What?"

"Got your beef bowl." The kid from the Chinese place – a girl named Aika – had zoomed over here faster that you could say "sting operation". They were paying her, so she had no qualms about being used to spy on Minazuki.

"What? I didn't order anything!"

"I'm never wrong. Look, you taking it or what? I've got deliveries to make."

While they haggled at the door, Naoto and Akihiko snuck around to the back of the house. Peering through the windows, they noticed a few pieces of furniture that would have been called cheap 30 years ago, older takeout containers, pill bottles, and a gleaming sword, the only thing Minazuki appeared to be taking care of. Pill bottles?

There was also a back door, and Naoto was just reckless enough to try opening it.

"I don't want your...beef bowl?" Minazuki was looking at the bag of food as if he hadn't eaten in weeks, in spite of his denial.

"You sure? This is some quality food right here. Your passport to the Meat Dimension." Aika was laying it on thick, dangling the bag in front of Minazuki like a dog treat. Damn, that **did** smell good. No, focus! He had to know what those pills were.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, the name of the suppressants Shinji was on had been filed away. It didn't resemble any of these drug names, however, so he did his best to memorize them for Fuuka to identify later. The one thing he did notice was that there was no name on the bottles, so Minazuki likely swiped them from the hospital.

Naoto was in her element, using a pencil to search through piles of papers and her handkerchief to prevent fingerprints. When she found a notepad, she made a rubbing of the top sheet – and just in time, because Minazuki was getting tired of the distraction.

"Fine, fine, whatever! At least now some loser doesn't get his lunch! Ha ha!" Amazingly, he actually paid Aika – though he also slammed the door in her face just to be a spiteful little shit. What he didn't realize was that Akihiko closed the back door at the same time.

"Well, this is interesting," Naoto said as she scrutinized the rubbing, "This is an address for a warehouse in the city."

"Why would Minazuki be interested in real estate?" Yu wondered.

"And what's with all those pills?" said Akihiko. "They're not suppressants – at least, not the ones Shinji had."

Fuuka looked worried. "Did you see what any of them were called?"

"I only got a quick look at them. One of them was something like... _on, Dancer_...no, that's a reindeer..."

"Ondansetron?" guessed Fuuka, "that's for nausea!"

"Another one was...something to do with sumo wrestling..."

"Never send Akihiko-san to the pharmacy. Got it." Junpei quipped.

"It could be...sumatriptan," Fuuka didn't really spend much time with her doctor parents, but she had enough background to be helpful. "That's a really strong migraine medicine, though. They don't prescribe it to just anyone with a headache."

"Okay, so...how did Minazuki know what it was and what it did?" Something was twitching in the back of Akihiko's mind, something he couldn't put words to yet but needed to hang on to.

"Perhaps he'd already been on these medications when he was brought to Inaba," said Naoto.

"That's not in the file," Labrys shook her head. "He didn't get nothin' but a note that said, 'Sorry, your dad's dead, but he left ya some money.'"

"He said he'd been watching us all last year," Yukiko brought up, "Does this mean he's been living in that...house...all this time? By himself?" Yeah, that was a shit shack, but Minazuki didn't deserve the sympathy he was suddenly getting from the Investigation Team.

"Along with Kagutsuchi and the Minazuki personality, yes." Naoto answered her. "Perhaps he was waiting for someone affiliated with Ikutsuki-san to contact him."

"Tsukuda-san," said Yukari. She no doubt remembered how Mitsuru reacted to seeing her old torture doctor.

"Well, that explains the drugs." Tsukuda all but said that he was handpicked for the Minazuki project by Ikutsuki. Someone had to tell Minazuki what was going on. "It'd also explain how he knew who all the scientists involved were – something even Mitsuru didn't know."

"Mitsuru-san thought that Sho was trying to get his Minazuki personality back," said Ken, "perhaps he killed all the scientists because they failed?"

"You forget," Naoto shot him down, "the forensics reports say that someone taller, with larger hands, was responsible for the last few murders."

"He kept saying he didn't do it," Akihiko added.

"See? See?" Labrys was going to be even more annoying now than she had been all month. "I told ya he didn't do it!"

"But Labrys," Fuuka tried to restrain her, "Minazuki-kun clearly knows something has been going on, because he's been trying to distract us with these appearances."

"I'll bet we'll find our answers at this warehouse," Yu seemed determined to go down there right this minute...until his phone rang. "Yes, Uncle?" They could hear Dojima yelling over the phone. Akihiko hoped he wasn't too angry about finding Mitsuru in his living room. "She said WHAT? No, I...I'll ask him, but I'm sure he would have said somethi-okay, okay! Okay. Yeah. I'll be careful. What?" Yu sighed. "I'll be there in a bit. Bye."

"Do the police have more information?" asked Naoto.

Yu sounded very pissed as he answered her. "Well, Minazuki might live in a shack, but he's been having a great day at his Junes lately."

"WHAT!?" Yosuke was predictably taken aback at this.

"Junes strikes again," Chie quipped.

"No, no-no-no-no-no, that guy has never been to Junes! I would have seen him! Teddie would've seen him! Teddie, have you seen him?"

"Well, no-"

"See, Teddie hasn't seen him, either! Somebody would have definitely mentioned seeing a kid like that! Those gossipy housewives would've seen him – they're there every day! **WE'RE** there every day! Don't you think we would have seen him?"

Yu let him peter out before growling, "Nanako has seen him."

Rise gasped.

"Oh, shit," said Kanji.

"She told Mitsuru-san that he was trying to buy medicine there, too."

"Makes sense. Tsukuda's dead. His supply's running out." There was that twitching in Akihiko's brain again. "I'd...better go with you. Mitsuru must be going stir crazy knowing Minazuki's out there."

But Yu wasn't done. If Akihiko didn't know any better, he'd say the kid was two steps away from Awakening. "He's been here for over a year. He knows Nanako's related to me."

"Senpai," Naoto tried to calm him, "I'm sure Minazuki isn't after Nanako-chan."

"He knew," Yu just kept saying, "The whole reason he tricked me into entering that 'tournament' was because I thought Nanako was in danger." Ah, that explains the "Sister-Complex Kingpin of Steel" title.

"That was Minazuki, not Sho!" cried Labrys.

"He's been to my home. He bought a sword that looks almost exactly like mine, only bigger. Now he's approaching Nanako."

Kanji of all people had picked up the implications. "He's callin' you out, Senpai." When phrased like that, it kind of **did** look like Minazuki had it out for Yu – but now was not the time for grudge matches! Minazuki was the only person who could possibly provide them with clues about the murders!

Akihiko was a firm believer in a man doing what a man had to do...but this was the most obvious distraction he'd ever seen. "It's a ploy, Yu. He knows we're on the right track, so he's trying to get you riled up so you'll ignore the bigger picture." He went to grab the boy's shoulder, but Yu immediately shook him off, a hard, cold look in his eyes.

"I can't let anything happen to Nanako again! **You couldn't possibly understand!** "

Big mistake. "Oh, I understand just fine." They didn't know whose electricity it was, but the air was crackling. "You think running off half-cocked is going to save your sister? So you kill one punk threatening her. But it won't stop there. You'll just keep fighting and fighting until it isn't even about her anymore – it's about your stubborn-assed self! While you're off playing knight in shining armor, that little girl is growing up without you! She doesn't want a hero, **she wants a damn brother**!"

"Sanada-senpai..." Ken knew what was really going on.

"You can't protect her from everything. You'll kill yourself trying, and when she needs you the most...you won't be there." He knew that look all too well. Knew the feeling of righteous indignation that clouded your judgment and made you do stupid things in the name of love. That drive to protect. Only now, when he closed his eyes, it wasn't Miki in danger that fueled him. It was Mitsuru.

Finally, FINALLY, Yu's eyes showed some understanding – and a bit of pain, since Akihiko was still crushing his shoulder blade. He hung his head. "Does it get easier?" he asked.

"Wouldn't know." Akihiko tried his best to shake off his own anger. He really hadn't meant to snap at the poor kid. He saw a boy going down the same path he'd torn through when he was young and stupid and had to stop him before it was too late to turn back, because he knew that path would never end. Watching the Investigation Team interact with Nanako reminded him of how much he enjoyed giving Miki piggyback rides and teaching her to write – which he could've had more of, if he hadn't been off beating up some kids who made fun of her for the way she called ramen "wamen". _Aki, can we have "wamen" all the time when we get 'dopted?_ He had lost his chance...but Yu didn't have to. "You gotta stick around long enough so we can find out." He released Yu to Rise's tear-stained embrace – but it was Yukiko that spoke comforting words to him.

"Yu-kun...Nanako-chan's going to be okay. All of us are looking out for her." The others nodded. "We'd never let anything happen to her. Even now, we check on her every day."

"Yeah, we gotta 'skedule' thing and everything," Kanji added. Then he blushed. "It was Naoto's idea."

"I made a promise to play with Nana-chan forever and ever!" Teddie beamed. "And if Nana-chan needs a knight, this bear is armed to the teeth! See?" He snarled, revealing cartoony teeth. Well, maybe he'd scare the mailman or something.

"I'm pretty sure Mitsuru is now Nanako's godmother whether she needs one or not," Akihiko chuckled.

"Thanks, guys – all of you." Yu wasn't much like Makoto after all, Akihiko supposed. He revealed his frailties and emotions he wasn't shy about sharing. "Minazuki is really going to see the power of bonds if he dares to try anything!"

Bonds, huh? Most of Akihiko's had been snapped in two years ago. He never really bothered trying to forge any new ones. He still had two left, though – and he wasn't going to let them break while he was off being stupid. Not anymore. His strength was his loved ones, and he was going to nurture those last few bonds like his life depended on it, starting today.

Hopefully.

If he didn't chicken out first.

* * *

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Poor Akihiko. Puns are contagious.

It wasn't in the game, but apparently, Ikutsuki had a house in Inaba that Sho has commandeered. Was he planning on spending time out there, keeping an eye on Sho in case he ever woke up from his coma? Was he saving it for Sho in the first place?

ondansetron . html My mom has these. They're usually called Zofran.

imitrex . html You may have seen commercials for this drug before.

I wish the Arena games had done something with Akihiko and Yu's "Sister-Complex" title. His sister was his main motivation for the first half of P3, and he talks nonstop about her during his Social Link in Portable. Instead of fighting with Chie over a beef bowl, he could have had some real character development.


	25. Benched for the Endgame

Let's begin wrapping this up, shall we?

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* * *

There was very little Yu could say without setting fire to the situation.

He'd apparently stepped right in someone's past again because he wasn't watching where he was going. Mitsuru had accused him of being short-sighted before, and perhaps he was...but Nanako meant the world to him, and he wasn't willing to lose the only loving family he had. Not again.

Akihiko followed him home without a word, lost in himself. What had caused him to go off so suddenly? Chie had mentioned that Akihiko told her – not in so many words, but he grudgingly confirmed it when she guessed – that he was an orphan who'd lost most of his family by the time he'd awoken to his Persona. One of these people must've been a little sister like Nanako. He could see that. Akihiko had sort of a big-brotherly manner to him, especially around Ken. He was slavishly devoted to Mitsuru as well – which was funny, because someone like Mitsuru didn't seem like the type to need a bodyguard. It was just in his nature to shield and protect. Yu could relate.

Cats started appearing the closer they got to the Dojima house, and by the time they'd made it to the front yard, a crowd had gathered, happy to see Yu again. "Hi, guys," Yu chuckled, "Sorry, I don't have anything for you this time." The cats meowed their disappointment.

He'd almost forgotten about Akihiko until he started laughing. "No one you won't talk to, huh?" A beat, and then he continued hesitantly. "Tell me you can't get a Persona from cats."

Yu actually froze before realizing that he'd had a predecessor. "Not yet, but you never know." Akihiko smiled and shook his head sadly. "Why doesn't anyone talk about him?"

"It's complicated."

"Being a Wild Card is complicated?"

"Again, you'd know better than me." Akihiko sighed. "Look, there's a lot of really emotional shit surrounding Makoto, and it's...gonna take some more time before anyone wants to talk about it – especially the girls." That was worrying. What did this Makoto guy DO?

The most awkward tea party ever awaited the men as they walked into the house. Dojima and Mitsuru sat on either side of the table, avoiding each other's stare. Nanako was giving it her all, but even she looked grateful to see Yu.

"Welcome home, Big Bro! Hi, Akihiko-san! I've been making Mitsuru-san rest all day, just like I promised! She looks better, don't you think?"

She looked like she wanted to shove her foot up Akihiko's ass, but Yu wasn't about to say that out loud. "Sure does."

Akihiko had been staring in Mitsuru's direction, but whether he was actually seeing her or not was anyone's guess. He returned her phone and just...watched her check it. Her bangs fell in front of her eyes – but before she could brush them out of the way, Akihiko's hand was there, tucking them behind her ear as if he'd done so a million times already. Their eyes met, and Mitsuru had no doubt realized something had happened before they got here.

Dojima had no qualms about being a wet blanket. "The Minazuki kid's been here."

"So I've heard." Mitsuru allowed her hair to fall back down, and her mouth was set in a thin line.

Akihiko sat down next to her, but did not touch her hair again. "Listen, did Ikutsuki ever say anything to you about owning some property?"

"Not that I recall. Why?"

"Minazuki's got an outhouse with a view at the edge of town."

"Here in Inaba?" Mitsuru's brain began to work. Then she chuckled. "Grand-père always did appreciate a good contingency plan."

"I'm not following," said Yu.

"Neither am I," Akihiko added.

"Nanako, I would very much love another cup of tea," Mitsuru said instead, confusing both boys.

Nanako sighed. "Grownups always want more tea when there's something they don't want me to hear." She sulked her way into the kitchen.

Once she was gone, Mitsuru continued. "Ikutsuki was eagerly anticipating The Fall, the quite literal 'end of everything' – but even he knew that none of us would sit still and let it happen that easily. On the off chance that we managed to subdue Nyx, his self-imposed status as King of the Fall would have been nothing but a pipe dream, and the Kirijo Group would have had him 'removed'.

Now Akihiko was catching on. "Like the other scientists," he said.

"Ikutsuki would have lived out his devious little life by Minazuki's bedside, no doubt filling his head with all manner of salacious crimes perpetuated against him by the Group. Minazuki was always going to be a nuclear warhead aimed directly at my door."

"I thought you guys just whacked people you didn't like," said Dojima. Mitsuru gave him such a chilling glare that both he and Akihiko visibly shuddered. "I...I'll go see if Nanako needs any help!" he squeaked, scurrying out of the room.

"But Ikutsuki-san is dead," Yu pointed out.

"He apparently had the foresight to plan for that as well." Mitsuru smiled ruefully. "I expect he knew I would attempt to make amends to a boy who wanted no part of it."

"Okay, so plan A failed: no Fall." Akihiko attempted to put everything in perspective. "Plan B also failed: Ikutsuki's dead. Plan C was to leave Minazuki a note saying, 'I'm dead, and Kirijo did it. Avenge me' ?"

"More or less."

"So the other scientists were sent to Inaba to keep an eye on Minazuki and fuel his desire for revenge." Yu realized.

Mitsuru nodded, pain striking her face. "Ikutsuki saw to that as well."

"Then Minazuki would have very little reason to kill the scientists," Yu realized, "Especially since Tsukuda had been supplying him with drugs. Labrys was right!"

"I doubt I will ever hear the end of this," sighed Mitsuru. "Drugs, you say? Nanako mentioned Minazuki was searching for medication at Junes."

"He's trying to replace the ones Tsukuda had been giving him," answered Akihiko, "Fuuka says they're for nausea and migraines." They hadn't been able to figure out what he needed them for – Naoto's best guess was that his body was rejecting the Plume of Dusk.

But Mitsuru's eyes lit up. "He can't summon."

"How do you figure?" asked Yu.

"Once you've awoken to your Persona, they typically won't let you ignore them. However, summoning without a catalyst is very difficult, and generally only possible under extreme duress. Unless you train yourself to control it-"

"It'll bang on the door until you let it out," Akihiko finished for her. Then another thought occurred to him. "Yukari always looked like death warmed over when she first joined SEES."

"I'll admit, I was very concerned about her at the time. If she hadn't adapted to the Evoker...our options were limited."

Mitsuru and Akihiko shared a look of poignant guilt, and as much as Yu wanted to let them have their moment, he really wanted to know what all this had to do with Minazuki. Personas were your true self, they knew that. Obviously, denying your true self was dangerous. But Minazuki summoned his Persona without an Evoker or a tarot card or anything. Granted, that was due to the weird red fog that made summoning painless. No one tried to make him summon when they returned to the TV World. Even the Shadow Operatives didn't need Evokers there. If they could just get him back into the TV World...

They were silent long enough to give Nanako a chance to return with tea. "Are you going out to look for your friend again?" she asked.

"I don't think Mitsuru is up to it," Akihiko said just as Mitsuru was saying, "I've been here long enough." They glared at one another.

"You were supposed to get some rest." Akihiko crossed his arms and tried to look imposing.

It might have worked, if it wasn't Mitsuru that he was looking at. "And just how long do you expect me to sit on my hands while I'm wanted for murder and Minazuki is out there running wild?"

"We've got it under control, hon. Look, we know where he's been living. We know his wings have been clipped. Even if he hasn't killed anybody, he might know who has, and he could lead us right to them."

"Then why are we wasting time here?"

" **You died a week ago!** Mitsuru, you can't just drink a cup of tea and be back to normal after that!"

Mitsuru had the strangest expression on her face. Evidently, this was something she had said to him in the past.

Akihiko immediately realized his mistake and tried to counter it. "That's not the same at all, and you know it," he protested.

"Oh?"

"Don't you-ugh...you just...you're so damn pigheaded, you know that?"

"Well, in that area, we are equally matched."

"Yeah, well, I'm a guy – what's your excuse?"

Dojima leaned over to Yu and muttered, "Why do I feel like I'm intruding in my own damn house?"

Nanako giggled. "They like each other, don't they?"

They gaped at her. "Wh-where'd you get that idea?" Yu asked.

"They act just like Naoto-kun and Kanji-kun."

Dojima had no clue what was going on at all. "Wait – Shirogane and that Tatsumi punk? When did this happen?"

"While you were at work."

Yu had to laugh. "Savage, Nanako."

* * *

Naoto was capable of doing many unpleasant things with practiced patience, but this was not one of them.

She had been tasked with walking a fretting Rise home, in spite of the fact that a major investigation had just opened up and she was chomping at the bit to dive headlong into it. Minazuki needed something from Inaba, something that could potentially blow the lid off both the kidnapping case and the Dead Man murders. It was her chance to redeem herself with the police and stick it to Public Safety for daring to use Grampa as leverage. And yet, here she was, playing designated driver!

"Poor Nanako-chan!" Rise was clearly predicting doom for everyone involved. "She must have been so scared! He better not have said anything mean to her..."

"I can't imagine that Minazuki would have made a scene in such a public place," Naoto said, though her words did nothing to assuage Rise's fears. Kanji would have been better for this job; he lived closer to Rise than she did. He and the others had decided that staking out Junes until Minazuki returned was a better idea, however. His sword remained at home, and their weapons were currently stashed in the TV World. "It sounded as if he was just on a shopping trip. Perhaps he had been turned away from Shiroku due to his attitude."

"Senpai's really upset."

"I'm not surprised. Nanako-chan is very important to him. She's already been through so many traumatic events in her short life – including a kidnapping."

"I don't like the look in his eyes, Naoto-kun! Do you think he's going to go after Minazuki by himself?"

On this, Naoto had to agree. Yu was beginning to lose his focus on the bigger picture, something Minazuki no doubt wanted. He might not have been guilty of murder, but he was deliberately impeding their investigation and trying to sew discontent among the Investigation Team and the Shadow Operatives – a feat that they were more than capable of doing on their own. "We won't let that happen. Minazuki consistently underestimates the importance of friends and loved ones in a person's life. You've no doubt heard the expression, 'No man is an island'? Minazuki has become said island. He's voluntarily sequestered himself from the mainland, and has no idea what is going on there."

Rise sighed. "Thanks for being normal, Naoto-kun. If you're still gabbing away, it must not be that bad." She paid no attention to Naoto's exasperated expression. "Soooo...have you thought about what I said the other day?"

"Regarding...?"

"Kanji-kun, silly!" She pulled a face that was much too serious for the situation and added, "I don't think he's brave enough yet to do the asking, so it'll have to be you. Just let me know when you want to do this and I'll see if I can't fix you up a little first!"

"You aren't seriously suggesting that I approach Kanji-kun and ask for...a... _ **date**_?"

"C'mon, Yosuke-senpai told me that you've done it before."

"Th-that was a misunderstanding on everyone's part! I had deduced that Kanji would be the next victim of the Midnight Channel based on the established pattern and merely wanted to alert him to the possibility!" Rise's eyes went wide at the unintended slip, but Naoto failed to realize it. "This is hardly the time for such things, Rise-san – there are murders and kidnappings occurring!"

"Love doesn't wait for an opportunity. Look at Mitsuru-san and Akihiko-san."

"L-love!? Rise-san, you're jumping to conclusions!"

"What, you don't think so?" Rise pouted. "You're such a grump, Naoto-kun! Just because you're too afraid to admit it-"

"I AM NOT AFRAID TO ADMIT THAT I HAVE FEELINGS FOR KANJI-KUN!"

Oh dear lord, what had she done?

Rise stood stock-still, gaping for a moment before her face lit up, and the sound of a boiling teakettle letting the air out of a balloon while riding a firecracker and scraping its nails along a chalkboard assaulted the ears of anyone living in Inaba at the moment. **"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I KNEW IT!** I knew it! I knew it I knew it I knew it I knew it!" By this point, Rise was dancing up and down the street, her jubilation enough to summon her Persona by sheer force of will. "Now dont'cha feel better that this is all out in the open?"

Naoto appeared to have lost the ability to speak or move.

"Naoto-kun?"

Was that really the way she felt? Kanji was invaluable to her, certainly, but...was there more to it?

"Dispatch calling Detective Prince! Ohh, Kanji-kun's gonna kill me – I broke Naoto-kun!"

When she and Kanji fought, Naoto hated it. She hadn't realized how much of her daily routine consisted of time spent with Kanji until she could no longer do so. If he did not approach her at the beginning of the school day, she sought him out herself. Why?

"Oh, Nao-cakes?" Rise was still vainly trying to get Naoto's attention. No way would she ignore that stupid nickname!

Naoto's Persona evolved because of a need to see Kanji validated for what he was, instead of mocked for what he wasn't. She reacted viscerally to taunts about his intelligence as much as or more than the man himself, as if they were attacks on her own person. Such was the strength of her conviction. But...feelings? _**Romantic**_ feelings?

A hard slap on her arm brought her back to the present. "Ouch! Rise-san!"

"Where did you even go?" Rise was glaring at her, her earlier exuberance only an ear-piercing memory. "Did you really not realize what your own feelings were until now?"

"I...suppose so."

The light left Rise's eyes. "Lucky you."

"I apologize, but I really must be going now, Rise-san." Naoto could no longer claim Rise was projecting her feelings onto her friend. "Enjoy the rest of your evening." Why were there so many buildings between Rise's home and her own? Inaba was so tiny that surely everyone awake at this hour heard her unwilling declaration – which meant Kanji and his mother would find out about it almost immediately.

As Naoto fled the scene of her crime, she heard Rise mutter, "Sheesh! Good thing I was already home!"

* * *

Miraculously, Naoto did not run into Tatsumi-san or any other citizen on her embarrassingly brisk jog back to her apartment. She sprinted inside and slammed the door, leaning against it gasping as if she'd just evaded a mugger. How could she have just blurted out something so personal like that in public? And in front of RISE, of all people? The girl ran on bubblegum pop and dime-store romance novels. There was no way she was going to just let this go. If she even thought about telling Kanji...

Her phone chimed, and she didn't even have to look at it to know that it was him. Yamato Takeru made a noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter.

K: Hey, what's up? Sorry about sticking you with Rise.

K: Scarface didn't show up here, so we're calling it a night.

K: Or else I'm gonna shove Teddie into an oven in Appliances.

Naoto wasn't surprised. Minazuki no doubt realized they were on to him by now. She didn't even have to ask what Teddie had done; he had all of Rise's starry-eyes with none of her self-control.

SORRY 2 HEAR

ALL IS WELL RE: RISE-SAN

JUNES OVENS NON-FUNCTIONAL

Kanji didn't reply for some time, and Naoto wondered if he, too, was laughing at the implication.

K: Yeah, but it would've shut him up for a bit.

INDEED

Her Persona was humming and buzzing with excitement, a palpable pleasure that was making Naoto giddy. She supposed she had effectively confessed in front of him, too. Now she was really her true self.

And Kanji?

K: You're probably gonna be mad at me, but...

K: I haven't studied at all.

UNDERSTANDABLE.

MAY HAVE BEEN NEGLIGENT IN THAT AREA MYSELF

K: Naoto, that was almost a full sentence!

PERHAPS YOU ARE A BAD INFLUENCE ON ME

K: Well we knew that

K: You...

K: you mind helping a guy out?

Before her Persona could even react, Naoto was already sending a final text.

WILL MEET YOU STORE IN 15

* * *

ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

This 'fic is a year old! Yay!

When I first started writing this last year, I had much more time on my hands than I do now. It'll be a little longer until I finally finish it, but it will get finished, with most of what I had originally planned. More on that later.

Since Inaba is such a small town, it seems like the only places to buy groceries and household goods are the Shiroku store (run by the frog lady, turns into a nightclub after hours) and Junes.


	26. Syzygy

Getting Mitsuru to agree to stay in a hotel room with Kikuno had to be the most impossible thing that Akihiko had ever managed to accomplish. Even the bear went down easier than this! It helped that Kikuno could be a bear in her own right, and she was determined not to lose Mitsuru again (whether Mitsuru liked it or not). Maybe they should send **her** after Minazuki.

She could take Aigis with her, too. As soon as the smoke cleared, the robot realized that Akihiko had missed several of his classes and hadn't been seen with a book since Mitsuru's birthday. Akihiko was benched until he rescued his grade-point average. He could still hear Mitsuru laughing. At least he wasn't the only one; the Investigation Team had to go back to school, too. No one was allowed to break or bend or even warp the law while the cops were suspicious of everyone around them. Any protests about their ages fell flat. If you were still in school, _**you were in school.**_ Akihiko wanted to complain, but...it made Mitsuru happy. Anything that kept Mitsuru at rest and made her happy was worth it in the end.

Except Calculus. When the hell was he ever going to use that as a boxer or a cop?

Stepping out of his room for air, Akihiko was none too pleased to see a sarcastic sentinel at watch. "And just where do ya think **you're** goin', buddy?"

"Aw, come on, Labrys, don't be such a hardass! That's Aigis' job!"

Labrys' entire demeanor changed. "Does that make me Good Cop?", she beamed.

"No way in hell you're Good Cop. You are definitely Maverick Cop who gets results, but has to break every rule in the book to do it. You're still on the force because you amuse the Chief."

"Oh. Well...I still outrank you, Rookie, so get back to them books!"

"Can't a guy breathe? Just because you don't-"

"I know what you're doin'." Labrys got uncomfortably close to Akihiko, a sly grin on her face. "See, I ain't Maverick Cop – I'm Espionage. I wasn't undercover as Student Council President for nothin'. I know how you young people work." Before Akihiko could protest further, she jabbed a finger in his chest. "An' you, Mista, aren't spendin' time with ya girlfriend until you finish your homework!"

In truth, he wasn't actually thinking about checking on Mitsuru. He just wanted a break. But Labrys' taunt had angered him. Why was she so upset about him and Mitsuru? They weren't even a thing because Akihiko hadn't manned up enough yet to confess while she was conscious! At least they'd known each other for years now – what was Labrys' excuse about her and Minazuki? She was just as irrationally obsessed as he was, and over the worst possible person! "What are you, my mom now?"

"If that's what it takes. What's your mom like, anyway?"

"Dead."

"Oh, uh...hey, I'm, uh...sorry about that." That shouldn't have caught Labrys by surprise if she'd been up on everyone's dossiers. "Wow, uh, that's a real shame, Akihiko-sa-WAIT A MINUTE! Are you tryin' ta bamboozle me with sob stories so you can get by? I don't think so! Get back in there, Sneaky Pants McGee, before I make you write lines! DETENTION!"

"Aigis lets me have a protein shake in between courses, though."

"Well, Aigis ain't here!" Labrys actually shoved him back into his room. "You do that studyin', Akihiko-san, or..."

"Or what?"

"Or...I'll get _**Nanako-chan**_ up here! How ya like that?"

Yeah, he supposed he had that coming. Mitsuru would hurt herself laughing if that happened. But he wouldn't go down without a fight. "Hey, then you could get off work early, so you can go find your _ **boyfriend!"**_

The door slammed in his face.

* * *

Not since a bout of chickenpox as a child had Mitsuru felt so damn sequestered. This was madness!

It was hard to deny that Kikuno and the others meant well. Dying and reviving wasn't commonplace, even among Persona-users. But she was _**fine.**_ The room wasn't spinning anymore. She held down tea, cake, sunny-side-up eggs (thank you, Nanako), even something dubious-looking from the Junes food court that Teddie tried to smuggle in for the price of one kiss. Watching Kikuno make the executive decision to take the fall instead was utterly hilarious. She survived laughing herself silly at that, as well. It was the only bright spot in her monotonous day of looking out the window while Minazuki was kidnapping and killing in her name **and she could not do a single blessed thing about it!**

The only silver lining was that the others were probably not advancing the case, either. School was in session, and the Investigation Team's education was still important. If Mitsuru could get Iori through high school despite him being out after midnight nearly every night, getting shot point-blank in the chest, falling in love and watching said lover sacrificing herself on his behalf, then by god, she was going to get those kids to graduation as well!

She might need a bit more rest before dragging Akihiko through college by his cape, however.

"Milady," Kikuno hadn't even bothered looking up from her magazine, knowing Mitsuru had begun to pace.

"I'm losing the feeling in my legs!" Mitsuru snapped, "I can't lay in bed all day like a sloth. I've been staring at that ghastly wallpaper for so long, I think I've discovered hidden messages in the patterns!"

"Are they commanding you to kill?"

" **Possibly**."

Without missing a beat, Kikuno turned to the wall. "Lady Mitsuru can not carry out your demonic will today. She has to rest. Come back tomorrow."

Mitsuru tried not to laugh through her facepalm. "You're fired."

"It might interest you to know that Akihiko-san has completely finished his assignments for this semester," Kikuno said, knowing full well this would get several different reactions out of Mitsuru simultaneously.

To think she'd been trying so hard not to think about him! "He does tend to work best under pressure. I...suppose he might need a break after all this time. I know he believes a brisk run clears his head. Perhaps we should let him go." It would take a marathon to clear Mitsuru's head of all the things making it throb. "I wish I could join him..." Akihiko always found a way to break her out of her brooding. Often times, he was the only person that could make her chuckle on a gloomy day. He was so doggedly insistent that she smile, no matter how much was weighing on her mind. He'd always cared so much about her well-being, even when he didn't have to.

Kikuno had gone oddly quiet. "I am sure he would like that very much," she said. Why had she stopped teasing so suddenly?

Mitsuru had never been happier to see Shirogane arrive after school had let out. "I am glad to see you well, Mitsuru-san," she began, "Surely you've been wondering how our plan to curtail Minazuki is coming along, correct?" It hadn't taken long at all for the girl to tune into Mitsuru's personal wavelength, and she was both delightfully perceptive and irritatingly astute. If she had continued as their foe, she could have become very problematic indeed.

"I'm not accustomed to being locked out of the loop," grumbled Mitsuru.

Shirogane looked uncomfortable. "Rest assured, that was not my intention."

"Please don't use the word 'rest'. I might be forced to admit that I've become _tired_ of it."

"I'm not seeing the issue here?"

" **That was a pun**."

"Ah. My condolences."

Even from Hell, Ikutsuki's madness plagued her.

"In any case," Shirogane continued, "we've gotten the address of a warehouse building on the outskirts of Okina City from Minazuki himself. If this is the location of the missing children, then we have irrefutable evidence that he's been involved in the kidnappings."

Something wasn't right here, not at all. The pieces fit together, but the picture they created made no sense. "Is that it?"

Shirogane misunderstood. "I'm afraid we could find no such evidence linking Minazuki to the murders."

 _No, I can't imagine you would._ "I see." This was much too simple, too cut-and-dry for someone that had gone through all the effort of aligning all of Mitsuru's troubles in perfect formation. First Public Safety, then the Ergo scientists, massive Shadow outbreaks...Minazuki was not capable of such strategic maneuvers. But Mitsuru would volunteer to rescue cats from trees if it would get her out of this room. A weak lead was better than none at all. "Then our next move is getting into that warehouse. If I contacted city officials claiming that I was in the market for a building-"

"-We've already got a plan in place," interrupted Shirogane, taking the wind out of Mitsuru's admittedly half-mast sails, "I only wanted to reassure you that we were on top of things while you convalesced. Fortunately, I was able to seize the opportunity while Akihiko-san was otherwise occupied." She and Kikuno shared a look that left Mitsuru feeling confused as well as dejected. _What do you BOTH know that I don't?_

"Contrary to popular belief," said Mitsuru, her anger rising, "Akihiko is not in charge of my welfare."

"He's merely concerned about your health after the...incident." No one had really spoken about what Mitsuru had done for Minazuki a week earlier, or why she had done it. Even now, she thought she could still taste those decaying Shadows. Akihiko may had saved her life, but he seemed to have forgotten just whose life he'd saved. She was Mitsuru Kirijo – not Miki Sanada.

No, she supposed that wasn't fair. She'd been horribly childish as of late, nightmares and everything. Akihiko was only responding in kind to her behavior. Well, that was going to change. "I am well aware that I was clinically dead, Shirogane, but you'll note that right now, I am not. I am also not seven years old. It takes more than a few Shadows to fell a Kirijo. I may be the first one you've met, but trust me when I tell you that I won't be the last." Shirogane, to her credit, did not flinch under Mitsuru's gaze. "Kindly share that information with the rest of your team **and** mine."

"Very well." The girl actually tipped her hat in respect.

"Tea, Milady?" Kikuno somehow produced a hot cup out of thin air and insistently pressed it into Mitsuru's hand. She was the only maid Mitsuru had ever met who took even the simplest tasks deadly serious.

Mitsuru went to sip, before having a dreadful flashback. "Forgive my behavior, Shirogane. I insist that you join me."

More conspiratorial glances. "I'm afraid I'll have to decline. I've agreed to help Kanji-kun with his schoolwork. It's of the utmost importance to his mother that he advances through high school with the rest of the Investigation Team. I'm sure you understand."

 _A low blow, Detective Prince._ Curse her reflexive filial piety!

"Of course. Please relay my regards as well."

So much for that escape route. Ah, well. She had no reason to believe Shirogane wouldn't have only pretended to drink, anyway. She let the girl leave, and was gracious enough not to tease her about the implications of the scenario she was walking into. Akihiko had often come to her for help with his studying at the last panicked second. Not that he'd really needed to; he was nearly as brilliant as she was when he actually put his mind to it. He more than likely would have passed even without her help. Perhaps he was doing well enough in college without her needing to breathe down his neck.

 _...Each breath he took made her shiver as it traveled down her back..._

Without any warning, the phrase had caused a deeply hidden memory of Mitsuru's to play: the first night she and Akihiko had slept together.

 _...She couldn't be sure if it was his heartbeat pounding in her ear, or hers..._

They'd never been so close before of their own free will. Asleep, they dropped all their inhibitions and curled up against each other as if they'd been doing it for years. She'd awoken embarrassed but _**revitalized**_. Even before she was aware of the danger, she'd found a place and a person to keep her safe.

Something splashed on her foot, followed by the sound of a teacup shattering as it slipped from Mitsuru's hand. "Milady!" Kikuno scrambled to clean her up. "You've overworked yourself. Please, I insist you go back to bed!"

"You...might be right," admitted Mitsuru. She had to talk to Akihiko again, if only to clear her conscience. He was on the way to that warehouse building, however.

The room went blurry as Artemisia desperately tried to get her attention. Something was off, and she knew it. But what could Mitsuru do from here, under guard, still secretly weak?

"Surely I can make a few calls without overexerting myself. That will be all, Kikuno. Thank you. I promise to ignore the wallpaper's psychotic suggestions." Mitsuru and her phone retired to the bedroom where the lack of details still plagued her. _What am I missing?_

 _...miss...ing..._

 _?!_

* * *

Naoto had not missed stakeouts. The silence, the waiting, the focus required to keep both eyes firmly on the subject in question for who knew how long. Many hard-boiled cops instantly became whiny toddlers at bedtime when faced with the prospect of a stakeout.

It was even worse without official cops.

Akihiko had managed to jog in place for so long that he could now jump-start a car with one finger. What little hair Naoto had was standing on edge when she was forced to ground him. "You do realize that it only gets worse from here on in," she informed him.

Akihiko froze well enough without Mitsuru's assistance. "...I shouldn't have quit my day job."

She couldn't blame him. The others were even worse at acting casual. An argument broke out immediately over who was supposed to be doing what, drawing more attention to themselves. Naoto had to send half of them back to where Yukari and Rise, too famous at this point for espionage, were waiting for the signal. Only Aigis remained completely immobile as befitting a robot, her thousand-yard stare making it seem as if she'd shut herself down. They knew she was scanning everything that passed her, however.

"Status report, everyone?" Fuuka's voice entered their heads. Naoto had to admit, using Personas was much more convenient than having to carry around walkie-talkies whose frequencies could be hacked and/or scrambled.

"No movement from the east," Naoto replied, "It appears that this building is well and truly abandoned."

"You say that, but I can see through the windows." Labrys' voice was still a bit too loud, but her volume was steadily improving.

"The boarded-up windows?" Everyone had questioned the inclusion of Junpei on this mission. Stealth and subtlety were not things that Yosuke's predecessor was known for, but the man insisted he come along. His Little League students and their parents were terrified that the kidnappings would continue, and Junpei had boldly declared that he was going to ensure their safety by "sending that dirty child-snatcher over the fence!". This was enough to silence even Yukari's skepticism.

"Yeah. They're doin' their damnedest to avoid detection, but someone is definitely movin' in there."

"Guys, someone's going down that alley!" Yu had fortunately taken to his task the way he did most everything else – like a duck to water – and was actually watching his target area.

"Is it a vagrant?" asked Naoto.

Yu's usual snarkiness came through the transmission clear as day. "Well, unless homeless shelters are handing out three-piece suits, no. This guy's either lost as hell, or right where he's supposed to be."

"Aigis-san, can you see him from there?"

"Subject is intently studying the far wall of the target building," Aigis replied, "He is removing a rotted plank...it's a hidden door!"

Sounds of shock and confusion rang through the group as Naoto had to marvel at the ingenuity. Entering from behind in order to maintain the appearance of an abandoned building in front? Whoever was in charge here was certainly cleverer than Minazuki.

"Well, now we can get in as well." Akihiko had taken to drumming on the fence to the right of them, kinetic energy preventing him from keeping completely still.

"We're going to need a search warrant-"

"SHADOWS!" Fuuka's exclamation interrupted Naoto's denial.

"Fuuka, what's wrong?" Yukari was closest to the diminutive woman, who was now in distress.

"I couldn't sense anything before but...when the door opened, it was as if a lid was taken off of a huge container of Shadows! They're definitely in there!"

"Are you sure it wasn't just Teddie?" Yosuke joked.

"How rude! I'm not the stinky one here, Mr. Sweaty!" Teddie was even louder than Labrys as he defended himself. "Why, I've taken a dozen showers today!"

"Yeah, I know – you used up all the hot water! What were you even doing in ther-no, you know what? I don't think I wanna know."

" **And** I finally figured out your 'droderent'...'dodrennt'...no-stink stick!"

"You're supposed to put it on your armpits, not **eat** it-wait a second, **MY** DEODORANT!? What the HELL, Teddie? Can't you get your own?"

"That explains a lot," quipped Chie, sounding disgusted.

"I need to get closer," Teddie ignored the both of them. A few minutes later, Human Teddie had crept out of the bushes and was overly cheerful as he skipped down the sidewalk, whistling. "OH, MY SHOE IS UNTIED!" he un-subtly declared, bending over right in front of the warehouse. He took an agonizingly long time before standing up and continuing his little jaunt...right over to where Naoto and Akihiko were stationed. "Fuu-chan is right! I smelled something even worse than Yosuke!"

"Not entirely unexpected, but this certainly complicates things," said Naoto.

"Exactly my kind of complicated," Akihiko added, cracking his knuckles.

"We still need to exercise caution," Yu's voice advised, "One group at a time, all right? I'm afraid you guys are stuck with Teddie now."

"Handicap match, huh?" Was _**everything**_ boxing with this man? "Bring it on."

"Oh, no!" Teddie had been in the process of sneaking back to retrieve his suit. "I'm not going anywhere with Shocky Akky! He'll fuzz out my bear-utiful fur!"

"Aigis-san will accompany you," Naoto shut down any further arguing, " **Quietly** , Teddie!"

Once Aigis had located the hidden door, they slipped in and everyone found that they could smell something. "Was this a medical supply warehouse?" Akihiko asked. Latex, plastic, even the abrasive paper that was usually draped over an examination table – it was all here and painting a really disturbing picture.

The others had arrived and came to the same conclusion. "I don't like this..." Chie was uneasily tiptoeing around the room, trying to hide behind an eerily subdued Yukiko.

"It doesn't look like this place has been used in decades," Yukiko seemed more curious than frightened. "Maybe the person we saw was a ghost?"

"AAH! Why'd you have to say that?!" Now Chie leapt behind an unwilling Yosuke.

"There are two sub-basements, and a big-ass basement level," Labrys informed them, scanning.

Koromaru was whining. He sneezed at least three times in a row. "He says that there are too many strong smells overpowering his senses," Aigis translated, "but he believes that the Shadows Fuuka-san sensed are below us."

"Okay, I'm not liking this right now, either." Yukari had spent the afternoon torn between maintaining her image, and restoring Mitsuru's. "Are we sure we're not walking right into a trap?"

"No." At least Yu was honest. "But Minazuki had this address for a reason, and we're gonna find out why."

The silence had them all on edge as they crept down the stairs single-file. Instead of the damp, dank smell that permeated most basement levels, they were greeted with an antiseptic odor and more lights than they expected.

Koromaru took off down the first available hall. "There's the Shadows!" Labrys announced. She and Ken followed him.

Down another staircase was yet another hall. "This way doesn't smell as bad!" declared Teddie.

"What's that?" said Aigis. Everyone remained quiet as she 'listened'. "It sounds like...crying!"

"Gotta be the kids!" Kanji realized. Several Investigation Team members decided to creep off in that direction. This left Naoto, Yu, and the remaining Operatives with the final descending staircase.

The silence gave way to sounds of machinery and low voices. Even without Shadows, the place held an aura of death.

"Wasn't...this a...basement?" Junpei asked.

Naoto couldn't believe her eyes. They were now standing in what was unmistakably a hospital ward.

* * *

Akihiko was beginning to hate hospitals nearly as much as Mitsuru.

He could have sworn they'd entered a warehouse of cobwebs and moved into a basement, but here was a fucking hospital, gurneys and everything.

No way Minazuki did any of this shit.

He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, "Hey! How the hell did you get in he-", and his fist lashed out and connected with a face without even thinking.

"Aaand now they know we're here." Yu had to get his quips in. "Nice shot, though."

Fuuka had been hanging back, but she had a smile on her face as she informed everyone, "Rise-chan says they've found the missing kids!" Oh, thank goodness, some good news! "They're sneaking them out now."

"Tell them to get photo evidence." said Naoto. "Don't touch anything unnecessary! Get the kids to a safe place and call the police. Don't do anything else until the police have okayed it." Fuuka passed the message along.

Teddie was next. "Teddie-kun says the Shadows were restrained, almost like zoo animals. There were dozens of them, organized by threat level – and one cage was empty!"

"Where do you suppose that Shadow is?" asked Naoto.

Fuuka gulped. "In here." She pointed to the huge room in front of them.

Evokers and cards at the ready, they pushed open the heavy imposing door, ready to face a Shadow someone labeled High Threat.

But it wasn't alone.

The man in the room was no more human than the Shadow. "Yamamoto, you're late-oh..."

Akihiko awoke, causing the lights to flicker. "You son of a bitch." he growled.

"It certainly took you long enough to cotton on," Tsukuda didn't seem the least bit surprised as he continued to put on plastic gloves. "I nearly ran out of Ergo scientists!

Naoto had her gun trained on him in an instant. "Hayate Tsukuda. You are under arrest for murder and kidnapping. I suggest you come quietly."

" **I WOULDN'T MOVE...if I were you!** " Gone was the affable nature Tsukuda had displayed at the hospital, and in its place was a snarling madman. It was then that they saw what the good doctor had on his operating table.

"Oh my god, that poor little boy!" Yukari gasped.

"Yuuta-kun!" Yu took out the rest of the lights with his own Awakening.

"Mi-Mister...Yu...?" Yuuta struggled to move under his restraints, his voice weak and shaky. He looked pale and there were clear bruises on his body. One needle already protruded from his bony arm. Tsukuda had another large one primed and ready. "I w-wanna go h-home now!"

"LET HIM GO!"

"Oh, I think not," Tsukuda chuckled, "Not when I am about to succeed where even Ikutsuki failed!"

"You're recreating the Potential experiments," realized Aigis.

Naoto lowered her gun just a smidge, hoping Tsukuda would back away from poor Yuuta. _That's it, get him talking. The flaw in every criminal mastermind's plan is their hubris._

"Dear Shuji-sama...the man was a genius, but he hero-worshiped his employer like a lovesick dog. Of course the boy would take right after him."

"You've been supplying Sho Minazuki with medications. Why?" asked Naoto.

"The failed experiment was quite useful when I needed eyes above ground. I'm dead, you see. Dead twice over, in fact, according to your bumbling police. Makes it fairly difficult to gather fresh subjects."

"He's the kidnapper?" Junpei looked as if he wanted to put his bat to good use.

"All I had to do was remind him of his _beloved father_ , and he put the leash around his own neck. It worked with Kirijo, after all!"

" **You are scum** ," Yukari glared daggers at the man. "You are even worse than scum!"

"What is it with children and their fathers, Takeba? **Your** father drove us all insane on a daily basis with pictures of his Yukari, videos of his Yukari, stories and stories and blah, blah-blah-blah..." He seemed unaffected by Yukari's seething as he looked her over. "I have to say, I am not impressed." Isis flared, and Tsukuda held up his syringe. "Ah-ah-ah! Now, we wouldn't want yet another death on our hands, would we, Feather Pink? That's not very heroic, now, is it?"

"Feather...Pink?" Yuuta was lucid enough to pick out a familiar name. "Feather Pink came to-to rescue me?" He tried his best to smile. Then his face contorted in horror. "Look out! The bad thing's going to get you!"

While they were watching Yuuta, the Shadow had been released and was definitely living up to its classification. Naoto had less than three seconds to make a decision. Aim for Tsukuda? Cover Yuuta? Defend herself?

Before she could even decide, the Shadow froze.

Literally.

Akihiko shivered and leapt away from the door just in time for it to slam open, courtesy of a stiletto-heeled boot.

" **WHO. AUTHORIZED. THIS?"**

* * *

ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

Madness? THIS. IS. PERSONA!

(I just had to do it before you guys did.)

Syzygy:

1 A conjunction or opposition, especially of the moon with the sun.

2 A pair of connected or corresponding things.

At this point, Kikuno and Naoto are the only ones that know Akihiko truly loves Mitsuru.

Also, I'm aware that Miki never got adopted, but for convenience's sake, let's just go with an already known surname. (You wanna hear something funny? The game did such a poor job of explaining it that when Akihiko and Shinji are first talking about their past, I just thought it was a cute nickname for Mitsuru. Obviously, she'd never put up with that kind of thing...but Akihiko does seem like the kind of guy to do that. )

I had to really think about the victim here. Nanako's already been through so much already. Maiko is a little too old these days. And before you say anything, the baby that I wrote about in another story doesn't exist in this universe. That's when I remembered the little boy that Yu connected with at daycare.


	27. Hell Freezes Over

Anyone working for the Kirijo Group really shouldn't be falling for the "switch the cup" routine.

Mitsuru felt virtually no guilt as she zoomed off, her head clearing for the first time in weeks. Shirogane had tipped her hand too far. It was laughably simple to search through what little warehouses existed in Okina City and find out who owned them – and what she found was the missing piece they'd assumed got kicked under the couch. Either Mitsuru herself had bought a warehouse in her sleep, or someone was misusing the Group for their own ends.

She couldn't believe she'd let herself get that distracted. Kurosawa had laid the answer right at their feet.

Kurosawa: Tell me who Akira Himura was.

Because he's now driftweed.

Also, Dr. Hayate Tsukuda has gone missing from Inaba Municipal.

All these men have previously worked for Kirijo.

What's going on?

 **Missing.**

After that, it was easy to leap to the only possible conclusion.

Inaba was just going to have to deal with her motorcycle tonight. The two dozen or so people living there had gone into hibernation, so Mitsuru was free to speed recklessly. Perceived restraints fell away. Her friends were in danger of walking into a trap they really should have seen coming, considering there was a detective, two robots, and a Wild Card among them. And Akihiko...

She was sure she felt him, his anxiety. The air coming from the city was supercharged. He never was one to sit still. But without her there to maintain his focus, his unchecked power and anger would get him into trouble. Punching out random people was not going to solve anything.

When Mitsuru reached the edge of town, she was able to tap into the Operatives' frequency and eavesdrop. Yamagishi should have sensed her presence, but gave no indication that she did.

SHADOWS!

Mitsuru skidded to a halt and nearly fell off her bike. MASSIVE amounts of Shadows, some on the level of the Reaper himself! This wasn't good. She needed to take cover until they got inside the building before they saw her.

Hiding the door under siding was a clever trick. Mitsuru might not have found it herself had she not been watching the others. The familiar smell made her blood run cold. _It's a lab. It's the lab. He's running a lab here. I can't...I can't be here...!_

She tripped over a box emblazoned with Kirijo. All of the equipment in this hellhole was something her family had patented. She felt like a million voices were pointing and accusing her. _Kirijo. Kirijo. This is your fault!_ When word got out about this building being a front for inhumane activities, it would be all over the media. Kirijo was doing this.

Kirijo would stop this.

Where were these supplies coming from? Mitsuru had never signed off on a single order for medical equipment. After Public Safety's attack, she had gone through all their active accounts with a fine-toothed comb. Minazuki? No, he couldn't possibly have this much to spare, not if he was living in a lean-to. Someone was giving **her** money away, and she had been none the wiser. If there was one thing Mitsuru hated most in this world, it was being manipulated. _Who had authorized this?_

She nearly got caught by the others as they began splinting off and doubling back.

"What's that? It sounds like...crying!"

"Gotta be the kids!"

The kidnapping victims. Small children left defenseless as adults abused them for their own gain. _**For Kirijo.**_ She thought of Nanako's little face, terrified even to talk about what she experienced in her own living room. How powerless she felt seeing her younger self being manipulated without even realizing it was wrong. Being trapped. Alone. Parents having no idea the hell you were going through...just hoping you would be home soon. All because of one man who enjoyed terrorizing little girls. He was about to realize that little girls grew up – and with them, their power.

Rise-chan says they've found the missing kids!

Good, good. Get everyone out. No more innocents will suffer today. She hid in a supply closet as they snuck past her, Amagi's healing power working overtime. It would never be enough to soothe the emotional wounds. Someone was crying, and it took all Mitsuru's willpower not to throw open the door and scoop the poor baby into her arms. _He won't hurt you again. I'm going to hurt him back._

Tsukuda was going to wish he had stayed dead.

Teddie-kun says the Shadows were restrained, almost like zoo animals. There were dozens of them, organized by threat level – and one cage was empty!

Yes, there was a Shadow here. A significant one.

And they were heading right for it!

Ohh, that bastard. The Shadow was talking, and since Tsukuda couldn't understand the stench of death, it meant he had one more victim.

They didn't know. They didn't know, but they were about to find out it was him!

And there was Caesar. Akihiko was powerfully angry.

Mitsuru reached the room just in time to hear with her own ears the thing she was fearing most.

"Oh my god, that poor little boy!"

How long had this been going on? Months? Years? Tsukuda had been "dead" since 1999. He'd come here on Kirijo's dime and used it to make more Minazukis.

Narukami had Awoken as well, just as he did that fateful night the Shadows made themselves known. Her hair was beginning to float inches above her head. So much for the legendary Wild Card's even keel. Then again, Mitsuru wanted to silence Tsukuda's slimy tone herself. So proud of himself. So smug. **Shoot him, Shirogane!**

Isis. The bastard underestimated the love a child has for their father.

 _Father._ He thought he'd been doing the right thing. They'd all thought he'd been doing the right thing. His father had become a monster, and the world needed to be repaired. He fought to redeem Kirijo with his very last breath, and this... _ **demon**_ would undo it all?

 _You were not given life so that others could die!_

By the time the Shadow began its assault, Artemisia had joined the others.

" **WHO. AUTHORIZED. THIS?"**

* * *

Mitsuru stood before them, an invisible but no less lethal aura of ice surrounding her. She was furious.

For the first time since they met him, Tsukuda looked uneasy. As she entered the room, Naoto could see that she was still fairly pale and breathing heavily. She was running on fumes and indignation.

"Who authorized this?" she asked again.

Tsukuda recovered quickly. "Why, you did, my dear! It was thanks to Kirijo's generous stipends that I was able to continue Kouetsu-sama's noble dream: purging the world of its undesirables, while ensuring that those who remained answered only to their savior!"

Naoto realized something. "You desired a world where only Persona-users existed – indoctrinated Persona-users."

"How else do you propose keeping an army of Shadows at bay?"

Akihiko was engaged in a little dance of trying to get closer to Mitsuru, but not being able to stand the cold. He stopped dead. "An _**army!?**_ You're even more psychotic than Ikutsuki was!"

"Oh, Ikutsuki, Ikutsuki...the only thing that pun-loving moron was good for was his sadistic curiosity. He was going about this the entirely wrong way. You don't need to augment a child to make a Persona-user – do you, Mitsuru-chan?"

The syringe in his hand froze and shattered.

" **No more talking.** " Mitsuru didn't seem to notice anyone else in the room as she zeroed in on Tsukuda. The moment he stepped away from Yuuta, Yu and Yukari dashed over to free him.

"Now, now, surely you can see the benefit in custom-made subordinates." Tsukuda stood his ground, but he was beginning to shiver uncontrollably. "You're a Kirijo – you were bred to rule. Think about it: with Ikutsuki and your grandfather gone, everything could be yours – and everyone that opposed you would be no more. Those Public Safety officials? Just a memory. W-we could even dispose of the failed experiment! How does 'Queen Of The Fall' sound, hmm?"

Her rapier cut through the air with a _whoosh!,_ coming dangerously close to Tsukuda's face. "I said SHUT UP," Mitsuru growled.

Yu had escaped with Yuuta, and as they stood there in shock, Rise and Teddie's combined powers sent one final message. Everyone's safe! The police are on their way! You **need** to get out of there, now!

Mitsuru paused, and Tsukuda grasped at this last lifeline like a mountain climber dangling perilously off a cliff. "Try to see reason, Mitsuru-chan!" _whoosh!_ "Mitsuru...sama?" _whoosh_! The last swipe connected, cutting off Tsukuda's tie and several shirt buttons. "LADY KIRIJO!" Red spots began to blossom. "You owe me!" Tsukuda declared, "You wouldn't be nearly as powerful now if it wasn't for me!" He backed himself into a corner, tossing a gurney in front of him.

"You made me a weapon," Mitsuru said, glaring down at him, "Now...I'm going to make you sorry." Ice crystals ran along the walls as she kicked the gurney away. "Still blathering on about The Fall? How predictable." She held up her hand, and a shard of ice began materializing in her palm. "Fall has ended. All that remains for you, Tsukuda... **is an endless winter!** "

The shard flew from her hand and hit Tsukuda directly where his heart ought to have been. His entire body froze on impact. Fuuka covered her face with a sob, and Yukari made a strangled gasping noise. Even Akihiko looked terrified.

But Mitsuru wasn't finished. She began kicking furiously at all the machinery, freezing tubes and vials of liquids. " **No. More. Little. Soldiers. For the. Fall!** " Her hair was plastered to her face, and her eyes were wild.

Akihiko unfroze and joined her, shorting out computers. Junpei started beating the IVs and heart monitors with a flaming bat. As things fell in his path, Yukari blew them away.

Naoto elected to escort a cowering Fuuka out of harm's way instead. She could hear sirens as she struggled to prop the heavy door open. "We have to go! Come on!"

The fire alarms sounded, and the sprinklers went off, but Mitsuru was still bashing everything in sight. Taking a chance that she'd warmed up by now, Akihiko grabbed her and hoisted her over his shoulder. The stairs were slippery as they took them two at a time in their haste. Everyone tripped at least once, but they made it to the warehouse level where an escaped Mitsuru began going hermatile again. Akihiko tried to grab her once more, but Naoto finally realized what was setting her off: everything was marked "Kirijo". They had to continue their scorched earth policy before the police arrived.

A familiar voice rose above the chaos. "Yu! Shirogane!" Dojima really wasn't supposed to be here, but he was no doubt concerned when his nephew didn't come home. "Kirijo? What the hell did you...how did...is everyone all right?"

It was over. All of their friends were safe. The kids were alive. Tsukuda was dead for good this time. The ground came up to meet Naoto and the others as their energy gave out and they collapsed on the grass.

Mitsuru and Akihiko laid in a somewhat scandalous tangle of tears and emotions. "No more little soldiers," Mitsuru sobbed, the burning building reflected in her eyes. "No more..."

* * *

June had snuck up on them. It seemed like just yesterday that Akihiko was comparing Mitsuru's party dress to a cake. Now he was carrying cake around as if it were Mitsuru herself.

The hospital may have smelled of death on the inside, but it had a nice little courtyard outside for people to get some fresh air. The Shadow Operatives and the Investigation Team had commandeered it to celebrate Mitsuru finally being released from the hospital for good. Any excuse for a party with these kids.

Mitsuru looked much better than she had all last month, finally smiling freely. They'd kept her from walking around any more than necessary (for their definition of "necessary", not hers) and she sat in her wheelchair like a queen on her throne. Kikuno, by contrast, hovered over her like a mother hen, looking frazzled. Akihiko hadn't thought to ask how Mitsuru'd gotten away from her that night.

As he approached them, he heard Kikuno complaining. "Do you have any idea how worried I was," she was saying, "when I arrived at Lady Mitsuru's room, only to find it empty?"

"Kikuno, please. You heard the doctors. I don't have to remain perfectly still in order to convalesce." Mitsuru's words fell on deaf ears.

"Somehow, she had managed to wheel herself all the way down to the children's ward!"

"And they were delighted to receive me, weren't they?" You'd never know that Mitsuru was supposed to be the one in charge here. "It was only one story, Kikuno. You should have seen their eager little faces." The kidnapping victims were all more-or-less okay, but they were receiving psychiatric counseling for their trauma.

"Aww, that was sweet of you, Mitsuru-san!" Labrys was a robot, but they still wondered if she would need some counseling herself. After the warehouse destruction, the police were on the lookout for Minazuki, but he seemed to have disappeared. Labrys staked out his shack for days, but he didn't return. He must've heard about Tsukuda's death...but where else did he have to go?

"They're still waiting for Feather Pink, by the way," Mitsuru teased, her smile becoming impish.

"Yeah...my agent loves these goodwill appearances. It's just kind of tiring." Yukari had really wanted to spend every day with Mitsuru now that she was a captive audience, but work beckoned. "Also...I think little Yuuta-kun kind of has a crush on me."

Akihiko smirked. _Poor kid has no idea how high-maintenance she is._

"Betcha'll be glad to get out of this place, huh, Senpai?" Junpei asked.

"Very much so," Mitsuru replied, "I've had just about enough of overeager orderlies and nurses with the worst bedside manners imaginable!" Her face and voice were serious – but her complaints were childish. "I have reason to believe that that... _ **woman**_...is the one responsible for stealing my cake." She scowled as she added, "I hope it goes straight to her thighs."

Yukari gasped and covered her mouth. "Senpai!"

"Oh, yes." From the sound of it, you'd think she'd wished death on the old bat.

This was his cue, however. "Hey, someone report a cake theft?"

It was hard to ignore the way Mitsuru beamed when she saw him. "Oh yes, Officer, it was very distressing."

"Don't worry, you can always count on a policeman...or Kikuno calling and saying you were out of cake," Akihiko joked, brandishing his parcel. "I, uh, wasn't sure what kind you wanted, but hopefully, it's here." He opened the box to reveal three dainty but no less decadent cakes.

Mitsuru's eyes bugged out of her head and she nearly leaped out of her wheelchair. "AKIHIKO, I LOVE YOU!" she squealed.

Not...really how he'd imagined it would sound...

Everything just stopped. The birds even stopped tweeting for a second as the meaning of the words hit home.

"Err..." Mitsuru went bright red. "I mean, I..." Akihiko was sure he matched, frozen with his hand on the pastry box. Mitsuru had just executed his damn heart.

An escape arrived in the form of Nanako and Teddie Teddie. "Mitchan! You've been li-bear-ated!"

"Ah, good afternoon, Nanako-san...Teddie-san." Kikuno wheeled Mitsuru's chair away so hard that Mitsuru flopped backward. "Lady Mitsuru has been eagerly awaiting your arrival – haven't you, Milady?"

"Wh-yes, of course!" Mitsuru gratefully took the escape route.

Kikuno spared a glance back at Akihiko who was finally thawing, his head full of what-ifs and sweat running down his temples. She seemed sympathetic, at least. Yukari was also staring at Akihiko, waiting for him to blow it, probably. He elected to not react. _It was an accident. She just blurted it out without thinking. I mean, she loves cake, and she probably didn't think she'd get any today._ He would just have to be grateful he'd heard the words in the right order for now.

Nanako was brightening up the place. "I drew you a picture!" she chirped.

"It's lovely, Nanako, thank you."

"Teddie made a picture, too!" _Oh, crap._

Mitsuru took Teddie's picture by one corner and just...blanked out. Akihiko dared to get closer and saw why. The damn horny bear had drawn what must have been himself and a stick figure with boobs and hair. **Just** boobs and hair. Along the top, "I LOVE MITCHAN" was childishly scribbled, with several of the letters backwards.

Mitsuru's years of diplomacy had failed her. "H-how...nice?"

"There were more," Nanako said, "but Dad said we shouldn't bring them."

"Please thank him for me," Mitsuru quickly replied.

This had the effect of killing another conversation, so Akihiko jumped forward. "Hey, how 'bout some cake, everybody!"

"Yes, yes, cake is a wonderful idea," Kikuno added as Mitsuru also replied, "Of course, I've been looking forward to the cake," and Yukari chimed in with, "Good idea! Cake for everyone! I'll help," while Labrys tried to drown them out with "Ooh, cake? Ya want some cake, Nanako-chan?"

 **Finally** , shit began to calm down. Akihiko had been caught up in a heated discussion with Chie about mixed martial arts, deciding to give Mitsuru space to get over her blunder. (Plus, he had to keep his nose from hemorrhaging after watching Mitsuru happily enjoying her cake. Fuck, she was so cute!) Kikuno had gone to finalize the release papers, and Dojima had arrived to pick up his kid.

"Hi, Dad!" Nanako was hitching a ride on Mitsuru while Labrys pushed them around.

For someone who liked whizzing around dangerously on a motorcycle, Mitsuru was sure having trouble steering. "Labrys, the table. TABLE, LABRYS!" It didn't matter; Nanako was giggling up a storm, anyway.

"Someone's sure having fun," Dojima laughed as they passed him.

Doubt was beginning to seep into Akihiko's mind. Mitsuru didn't seem too proud of inadvertently declaring her love for him. She hadn't spoken to him or looked him in the eye all afternoon, either. Did she think he was angry? Disgusted at the thought? Had he ever given her that idea? He hadn't recoiled, had he?

It must have shown on his face, because Dojima took one look at him, looked at Mitsuru, and smiled. "You going to tell her, or...?"

Akihiko sighed. "No." Mitsuru deserved better. She was going to run all of Japan someday. He was just an ex-boxer ex-cop orphan who was only good for buying cake and punching shit. Minazuki was still out there, biding his time. He wouldn't give up on revenge that easily. When Public Safety found out about the warehouse and Tsukuda, they'd be all over her. She didn't have time to let some shirtless guy play with her hair. No, Mitsuru was better off without him.

No matter how much it hurt.

* * *

Tohru Adachi could count on one hand the people who came to visit him in the stir: Dojima, Dojima, and Dojima. Possibly the brat. Oh, and Dojima. When he was summoned to the visiting room, he put on his best smarmy smug smile and pretended that he didn't count down the days since his last visit, notches on the wall he'd claim were to mark off time before his favorite show that he didn't really have came on. "Well! What's the occasion?" he drawled. He certainly didn't miss anybody. Not his fault if you didn't have anything better to do than to laugh at a caged animal.

"You and me got business to settle," came an unexpected voice.

Adachi had perfected the "laugh until you can figure out how to reply". Then he whistled. "You sure don't know when to let shit flush, do you, kid? I told you already – rules are rules. I'm abiding by them. Ain't that big of me? You oughta try it sometime instead of trying to blow shit up and whining about it."

Sho Minazuki leaned forward with a glare that threatened to shatter glass. "Time for a new game," he said, " _ **My**_ game. The only rule is...there are no rules."

* * *

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And so, that's my story. It ended up being drastically different from my outline in many spots. Initially, I was going to have Mitsuru seeing a therapist, and relaying her past while under hypnosis instead of video. This would have meant everyone was just sitting around listening to someone talk, though, and that was kind of boring.

Mitsuru nearly killed Tsukuda using the same sick method he gave kids Personas with, but that would have been out of character, so I axed that as well.

Stay tuned for the epilogue!

In the drama CDs, Kikuno drugs Mitsuru's tea so she'll sleep through the Kirijo Group storming the dorm to break up SEES. She was somehow out for TWENTY HOURS. Don't fuck with Kikuno!


	28. EPILOGUE

In a room of blue, a woman stood silently.

"Sister?"

"Ah, Theodore. Is there something you needed?"

"..."

"You are no doubt wondering where we are, yes?"

The man named Theodore looked confused, taking his time to choose the correct words. "I...Margaret, this is...not the Velvet Room."

"Indeed it is not." Margaret glanced around their surroundings, and Theodore followed her gaze. When the Velvet Room had a guest, it took on a form symbolic of their journey. The room they were currently in was...a void. It bore no relation to an elevator, a limousine, or any building at all. "We appear to be in a state of flux. Since our last guest refused his contract, the Velvet Room has no role to play."

"I don't like this. Why haven't we gone with it? Where is Master Igor?"

"I'm afraid that I cannot answer that question. Perhaps Master Igor no longer has any use for us."

"And...Elizabeth?"

Not even Theodore could miss the wistful expression that crossed Margaret's face for a brief instant, quickly replaced by a blank, impassive mask. "Who can say? But this place of nothingness is truly troubling. Perhaps we should leave it."

"You mean, go out? Into the _**real world?**_ "

"Do you have any other ideas?"

Theodore was silent. For the first time since he could remember, his eldest sister was not in charge. She didn't seem to have any idea what was going on. Neither did he, in fact. But aside from Igor, his sisters were all that he had. He wasn't about to abandon Margaret for this eerily silent space. "Where shall we go?"

Margaret smiled. "What else is there to do...but follow our guests?"

* * *

I'm so happy I finished my story! But I couldn't let it go without a teaser.

Okay, so it's really, REALLY early for Persona 5 events, but Ultimax strongly hinted that Minazuki was supposed to be the next wildcard, and he refused. Sometime after this and before MC5 gets to Tokyo, Yaldy pulls his little stunt. What are they doing in the meantime? What happens to a Velvet assistant when their guest is done? Elizabeth took off, Theo is from an alternate timeline, and Margaret seems to be still available to Yu. I assumed they would go with the Velvet Room and just be around advising or indulging in their hobbies, until one day Lavenza disappears, and they were just cut off. Maybe they were with the real Igor?

It's going to be a little while before I resume writing (holidays, and my mom has really important surgery). So after a short break , be sure to tune in for part 2 of the trilogy, _**Silhouette**_ – featuring the Velvet Siblings and Adachi!


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